The Newsreader
by xMorbidxAngelx
Summary: An unhappy Sesshoumaru finds himself hopelessly attracted to a newsreader, but how does a chance meeting with her change his life?
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter I**

Sesshoumaru Taisho had always considered himself ordinary. In his opinion, every aspect of his life and personality was just as ordinary as any other person, but if one were to ask anyone else, they would say that Sesshoumaru Taisho was anything but ordinary. At the age of 26 he was married and had been for two years. He had a step daughter from his wife's previous marriage who suffered from cerebral palsy and despite the child's disability; he still considered the life ordinary. Anyone else would think of him as the eldest son of one of the wealthiest men in the city and married to one of the most beautiful women in the city. From the outside looking in, Sesshoumaru Taisho had the perfect life. But that was only the spectator's view.

In reality, although he liked to tell himself that his life was normal, Sesshoumaru knew that if was definitely not. Having been unhappily married to Kagura Nakamura for going on three years, he was beginning to understand why his father mother had divorced. Had it not been for Kagura's daughter, Yuri, he would have probably filed for divorce after only a few months. He didn't want to admit it, but he had grown quite attached to the five year old child and discovered that he spent more time with her than her own mother did. Sesshoumaru got the distinct impression that Kagura could not see past the child's disability and come to care for her, but he secretly doubted that she could care about anyone other than herself.

Yuri was what Kagura called a troublesome child. She had a very weak immune system and was prone to becoming very ill even if she caught something as simple as a cold. Sesshoumaru pitied the child he had come to see as his own. In the time he had known her, life had consisted of rather too many visits to the hospital for his liking and the number of times the poor child had nearly died was frightening. More often than not, when the child had been fighting for her life in the hospital, it had been he, Sesshoumaru, who sat by her bedside while her mother was out gallivanting about the town, spending as much money as possible. Many times he had wondered if he could file divorce and get custody of a child who had clearly been rejected by her mother, knowing what life was like growing up without a mother, he had decided against it.

In fact, he disliked his lifestyle so much that he had almost considered taking up residence in his office in the tall building that was Taisho Technologies. Knowing it was a foolish idea, Sesshoumaru had taken to spending long hours in his office instead, only going home when he was sure Kagura would be out on the town or fast asleep so he didn't have to listen to her incessant bickering. All the hours spent in his office were not spent working though, contrary to what his family thought. When it became apparent that the office would become his sanctuary, Sesshoumaru had taken steps to ensure it was not simply a standard office. He had replaced the dull and dusty carpet with a new one, stripped the walls of their plain wallpaper in favour of polish wooden panels and removed the blinds that hung in front of the enormous windows, replacing them with dark red drapes. The uncomfortable seating that was used for meetings had been thrown out and replaced with a comfortable sofa and a couple of armchairs and a large wooden cabinet had been strategically positioned between the armchairs to house the television he had kept secret from his colleagues. Overall, he felt more at home in his office than his home did.

It was that very office that was the very cause of his current problems and as much as he hated to admit it, what had started out as a vague interest became part of an everyday routine and eventually an obsession. One night when he was the last person around save the security guards, he had tired of working and chose instead to watch the television which had been his first mistake. Upon turning it on, he found himself watching the news and had noted how attractive the female newsreader was. Although Sesshoumaru didn't watch the news on a regular basis, he watched it enough to know that she was a relatively new presenter of the programme. As boredom began to take its toll in his homely office, he started to turn to the television for relief more often than before and found himself watching the new presenter on nearly every news broadcast. As time drew on, he found himself turning on the television simply to see her face and then eventually, he would stop what he was doing just so he could watch the news, although he never paid any attention to it.

The younger Taisho son, Inuyasha, had been the first to notice his brother's obvious crush on the female newsreader. Inuyasha was not as polite and calm as his brother by any stretch of the imagination, but even he knew it was probably better not to speak of his observations to anyone other than the man himself. The man had vehemently denied the accusation when Inuyasha had eventually had enough courage to approach his brother about it. Smirking to himself, Inuyasha decided that he could have a little bit of fun with the interesting piece of information his brother had unwittingly given him.

*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*

"Sesh, would you like to come over for dinner tonight?" Inuyasha asked one afternoon as he sat in his brother's office.

"Very well."

"Good, we'll see you tonight then!"

As Inuyasha strode out of his brother's office, he fished his phone out his pocket and dialled a number, a grin on his face as he waited for the answer.

"Dinner tonight?" he asked casually, not giving the other person a chance to speak. "Is 7 alright for you? Good. See you then."

*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*

That evening, Sesshoumaru stood on the doorstep of his brother's home, waiting patiently for someone to come to the door. He shifted his weight from one foot to the other as he fidgeted with his tie in a rare display of anxiety. A bad feeling was building in the pit of his stomach and something told him that Inuyasha's sudden interest in his choice of television programmes did not end in the office that afternoon.

"You came!" Inuyasha said exuberantly as he let his brother in, ushering him through to the living room.

"Hello Sesshoumaru," Kagome said with a smile from her seat behind the living room door.

"I see you've grown," he said expressionlessly, nodding at her round stomach as he bent to peck her on the cheek.

"That tends to happen during pregnancy," she said with a teasing smile before gesturing to the sofa sitting in front of the windows. "This is our friend, Rin. Rin, this is my brother-in-law, Sesshoumaru."

Not really feeling overly excited about meeting new people without prior warning, Sesshoumaru suppressed a sigh before turning to look at the sofa and from his seat on the arm of his wife's chair, Inuyasha watched his brother carefully, trying very hard to mask his amusement. As Sesshoumaru's eyes fell on the sofa, his jaw would have dropped in surprise but his impressive self control saved him from possibly making a fool of himself. Instead, his eyes narrowed slightly as he vowed to throttle his brother as soon as he had the chance. The cause of his sudden ire was sitting sedately on the sofa, a polite smile on her angelic face. As it turned out, Kagome's friend Rin was the very same Rin who presented the news that he watched almost religiously.

"It's a pleasure to finally meet you," she said with a smile. "I've heard so much about you."

Sesshoumaru blinked in surprise for a moment. Her voice was so soft and it was so different from the way she sounded while she was on the television. Perplexed, he pushed the thought aside for further consideration later as he realised that she was waiting for a response. "The pleasure is mine," he said in his deep voice.

After a moment, Kagome struggled to her feet and waddled into the kitchen, pulling Inuyasha along with her, saying something about drinks. Sesshoumaru watched her leave and noticed with chagrin that the only free seat was on the sofa beside Rin. With a silent sigh, he sat down and carefully put as much distance as possible between them.

"How's Yuri?" Kagome asked as she returned and handed a drink to both Sesshoumaru and Rin before returning to her seat.

"Not well," Sesshoumaru said with a barely concealed grimace. "I suspect we shall be in the hospital within a few days."

Inuyasha frowned sadly. "Poor girl. What is it this time?"

"With her it could be anything."

As the trio discussed the child's ill health, Rin sat quietly in her seat beside Sesshoumaru. She didn't know that Kagome and Inuyasha had been expecting someone else for dinner. Her breath had caught in her throat when he turned and fixed his amber eyes on her. The man looked so much like Inuyasha it was unbelievable that they were not twins, but there was something about the elder brother that sent chills down her spine. Many times she had heard Kagome speaking of how he frequently had women attempting to flirt with him, but now that she saw him, she wasn't surprised why women would throw themselves at him. The man was a god in human form.

"How's work, Rin?" Inuyasha asked, discreetly throwing a smirk in his brother's direction as he spoke. "Rin's a newsreader, you know, Sesh."

"I'm aware of this," Sesshoumaru said, resisting the urge to cross the room and strangle his brother regardless of the two women present.

"It's alright," Rin said quietly with a thoughtful expression. "I think they're cutting my hours down soon though."

Sesshoumaru listened carefully and thought over the implications of her hours being cut. At the moment, she worked for one channel and presented all the news broadcasts through the day along with her co-presenter and somehow, he managed to catch every single one of those broadcasts even during a working day.

"You'll be on TV less?" Inuyasha asked in surprise. "I thought they had just hired you?"

"They have, but they've hired someone new who'll take my place."

"Which broadcasts will you be presenting?"

"Just the evening ones."

"Is that all?" Kagome asked in disappointment. "That means I'll only get to see you once a day!"

"I can't believe you watch the news just to see me," Rin said with a fond smile at her friend.

Inuyasha's eyebrow rose at that statement, he looked directly at his brother and grinned. Frowning, Sesshoumaru sent Inuyasha a venomous glare that clearly promised pain later. But he was glad that he was not the only person who watched the news just to see Rin. In fact, he still found it hard to believe that he was sitting on the same sofa as the very woman he watched on television every day. Sesshoumaru shifted slightly in his seat to get a better look at the woman beside him as she conversed with his family. Her brown eyes were framed by the thickest lashes he had ever seen and her smile seemed even more entrancing in real life than it did on the television. Normally, she was hidden behind a desk, but today Sesshoumaru could see all of her and she looked even better than he imagined. Her skirt revealed smooth legs, tucked beneath her on the sofa and a very dainty pair of feet encased in black stockings. Allowing himself to look her over, his eyes travelled up from her legs up her body. A white blouse gave the hint of voluptuous cleavage and he suddenly felt the desire to more than look.

"So how did you like my surprise?" Inuyasha asked later that evening while he and Sesshoumaru were packing the dirty cutlery into the dishwasher.

"If your wife wasn't in the next room, I would strangle you," Sesshoumaru said coolly.

Inuyasha laughed. "You can't say you weren't just a little bit happy. I know you've been lusting after her."

With a sigh, Sesshoumaru closed his eyes for a moment, realising his brother wasn't going to let this drop. "Even if I have been lusting after her as you so nicely phrase it, I can do nothing about it." Inuyasha looked perplexed for a moment. "Have you forgotten that I am married?"

"Ah yes. That's a shame."

"Isn't it just?" Sesshoumaru said sarcastically.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter II**

In the days that followed his meeting with Rin, Sesshoumaru found himself slightly annoyed by the fact that her hours had been cut exactly as she said. This meant that he no longer had an excuse to get to work early to watch the morning new broadcast just to see her and he could no longer take an extended lunch break to watch her at midday. She now only appeared on the 7pm and 10pm news broadcasts which made it rather difficult for him to both avoid Kagura and watch her. He still couldn't quite believe that he had met her and even the memory of her sitting beside him on the sofa seemed like it had come from a dream and was not reality. The major problem he faced now was that he wanted to see her again and was not content with just watching her on television.

Just as he predicted, Sesshoumaru found himself sitting beside Yuri's bed in the hospital a couple of weeks after talking to Kagome and Inuyasha about it. Sighing, he sat back in his chair and rubbed his eyes with his free hand. Taking a quick look at the pale girl sleeping in the bed, he looked around the room. There was an empty bed on the opposite side of the room and the curtains in front of the large window between the beds fluttered lightly as a cool breeze came through. Weak sunlight illuminated that room making the pristine white walls look like they were glowing and the only sound in the room was the laboured breathing of the child on the bed. The atmosphere in the room was soothing for a hospital and Sesshoumaru closed his eyes as he relished the peace and quiet. The past few days had been traumatic for Yuri and annoying for Sesshoumaru. Kagura had been moaning day in and day out about her child's poor health and frankly, the woman's constant complaints were grating on Sesshoumaru's nerves.

Completely absorbed in his thoughts, Sesshoumaru nearly jumped when the door opened and a doctor came in shortly followed by two male nurses pushing a trolley. He politely averted his eyes as the nurses aided the person off the trolley and into the soft bed. A soft cough from Yuri's bed caught his attention and he looked over to see the girl looking back at him with a sleepy smile. Forgetting the room's new occupant, Sesshoumaru turned his full attention to his step daughter.

"Mama's not here, is she?" Yuri asked softly, her voice hoarse from coughing throughout the day.

"Not yet."

"She won't come," came the quiet response before a small hand reached out for his. "I'm glad you're here."

Sesshoumaru didn't know what to say when the child said such things, but merely nodded and squeezed her hand gently. Yuri smiled back and then frowned down at the IV drip connected to her arm.

"Don't play with that," Sesshoumaru admonished her gently.

"I don't like it though."

"The doctor says you need it."

Yuri frowned and then looked up as a figure appeared at the foot of her bed. A young male doctor stood at the bottom of her bed with a clipboard in his hands and a smile on his face. As he walked around the bed, he placed the clipboard on the bed before pulling his stethoscope from around his neck. Sesshoumaru discreetly peered across to see what was on the papers and frowned slightly when he saw a number of abbreviations and sentences that made little sense to him.

"How are you feeling today, Yuri?" the man asked cheerfully as he checked her vitals before sitting down in the chair opposite Sesshoumaru.

"My throat hurts," she said with a sad expression which soon turned to annoyance when she looked back down at the IV in her arm. "And that's not nice."

"You need it though, for the moment anyway. Your throat will hurt a little because of your coughing, but I can give you some medicine to soothe it."

"It's not going to taste nice, is it?"

"Probably not, but you still need to take it unless you want a sore throat."

"I don't want one, but the medicines doctors give me taste horrible."

The doctor smiled and got to his feet. "If you promise to take the medicine, I'll talk to the nurse and see if I can get you some extra dessert until your throat gets better."

Yuri's eyes widened and she smiled slightly. "Really?"

"Will you take the medicine?" The child nodded enthusiastically. "Then I'll see what I can do."

Sesshoumaru ruffled the girl's hair before following the doctor out into the corridor. Once outside, the doctor turned around and the smile dropped from his face almost immediately. The man sighed and looked down at his clipboard briefly.

"I'm afraid she'll have to stay until at least tomorrow," the doctor said seriously. "Perhaps longer, but we'll just have to see if she improves during the night."

"Is it serious?"

"It's simply a rather bad case of the flu. She'll pull through it, but given her weak immune system, it's best to keep her here until we're absolutely sure."

Yuri looked up with a smile when Sesshoumaru returned. Her smile stayed in place as he bent over her to pull the covers around her more securely before sitting down and taking her hand in his.

"Will you stay with me again?" she asked seriously, biting her lip as though she feared he would desert her like her mother had.

"Of course."

True to his word, Sesshoumaru stayed in the hospital with the girl overnight. Once the lights had been turned off, the only light in the room was the small lamp beside Yuri's bed and Sesshoumaru slumped down in the chair beside the bed as he watched the child sleep more peacefully than she had done for several days. At some point during the night, one of the night nurses had thoughtfully brought him a cup of coffee and a blanket when she came to check on the room's other occupant. Sesshoumaru looked over at the other bed, wondering what had happened to the occupant, but found that side of the room dark. Sighing, he wondered what the person looked like and if they would mind having a child for a room mate. Pushing the thoughts aside, he decided to try and get some sleep.

*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*

The sound of quiet voices woke him the next morning and Sesshoumaru frowned slightly as he listened to the whispering, recognising one of the voices as Yuri's. Who could the girl be talking to? If it was the doctor then he would've been woken up, so who was it? Slowly, he opened his eyes to see that a curtain had been partially drawn across the bed at some point and it completely shielded him from view, but Yuri could obviously see the person she was talking to clearly. Yuri looked at him when she saw a movement out of the corner of her eye and she grinned at him for the first time in days.

"You slept a long time," she said quietly and held out her arms.

Sesshoumaru stood up and sat on the edge of the bed, giving the girl a brief hug before leaning back and looking at her closely.

"Did you sleep well?"

"Yes, I feel better today."  
"Good."

"I made a friend," Yuri said happily, taking the conversation away from the awkward subject of her health.

"Oh?"

"Yeah."

The girl smiled brightly and gestured to the other side of the room. Looking over his shoulder, Sesshoumaru looked over at the other bed and for a moment there was absolute silence in the room. Turning on the bed to get a better look at the person, he wanted to believe that the stress of the situation with Kagura and Yuri was now causing him to hallucinate, but somehow, he knew that what he saw was not a figment of his imagination.

There, sitting placidly in the bed opposite his step daughter, was none other than Rin Oshiro. Frowning, Sesshoumaru wondered what was wrong with her and could see nothing seriously wrong except for a cut on her cheek which had been stitched up. He got to his feet and tried to decide if he should approach her or not.

"Rin?" he asked stupidly, knowing full well that his eyes were not deceiving him.

"Hello," Rin replied with a smile. "It's been a while, hasn't it?"

"Do you know Papa?" Yuri asked happily.

"We've met once before," Rin said with a smile at the child before looking at the tall man hovering uncertainly beside the girl's bed. "You stayed all night?"

"I always do." Sesshoumaru looked intently at her for a moment before speaking. "Why are you here?"

There was a moment of silence between the pair as Yuri looked on with interest, also curious about why the woman was there when there seemed to be nothing wrong with her. Rin looked down at her hands for a moment before looking up with a smile.

"I had a bit of an accident," she said sheepishly.

"What kind of accident?" Yuri asked curiously, voicing Sesshoumaru's own question.

"I fell down the stairs at work."

Rin gave Yuri some brief and very vague details about the accident while Sesshoumaru listened quietly. There was something about her story that didn't sit well with him, but he refrained from questioning her about it until Yuri had fallen asleep. After making sure the child was warm enough, he left her bedside and crossed the room to sit beside Rin's bed. She smiled at him and put down the book she had been reading.

"What kind of accident did you have?" he asked, settling down into the chair beside her bed.

"It wasn't very serious," Rin said, waving her hand as though she was trying to dismiss the subject. "I'm too clumsy sometimes."

"You fell?"

"Down a flight of stairs."

"And all you have to show for it is a cut on your cheek?" Sesshoumaru asked incredulously.

"Oh no!" Rin said and blushed slightly.

Sesshoumaru frowned at her blush and wondered just what the other injuries were if they caused a blush. He was about to ask when she pulled back the covers to reveal her legs and he suddenly understood what caused her to blush. A long cut that ran down the length of her calf had been stitched and there were bruises and smaller cuts on both legs. His eyes widened and rose to look at her when he noticed the few bruises and cut that also covered her arms.

"Why did you fall down the stairs?"

"Uh… I… fainted," Rin muttered and looked down at her arms.

A silver eyebrow rose. "Why?"

Rin muttered something and refused to meet his gaze. Sesshoumaru frowned at her and was about to ask her what she had said when a sound came from the door way just before his confusion over her inaudible words was clarified.

"I think she means to say 'malnutrition'," a familiar female voice said with a slight edge to it that made Rin flinch.

"Kagome?" Sesshoumaru asked, turning to look at his sister in law, his confusion now returning. "What are you doing here?"

"Initially I came to see Yuri, but then I heard from Inuyasha that Rin was here too so I thought I'd visit them both."

"That's very kind of you, Kagome," Rin said quietly, smiling uncertainly at her friend.

Kagome didn't respond and merely walked into the room and glanced briefly at Yuri before sitting down heavily opposite Sesshoumaru. She grimaced slightly as she tried to get comfortable, wishing, not for the first time, that the child would be born soon so she could return to normal life. Once settled, she looked at her friend and frowned so ferociously that Sesshoumaru began to wonder if there was something going on that he didn't know about.

"You're a terrible friend, you know that?" Kagome said irritably and Rin merely sighed in a manner that made it seem she had heard this lecture before. "I thought it was something serious when Inuyasha said you were I hospital!"

"I'm fine, aren't I? Don't get so worked up, it's not good for you," Rin mumbled, trying to placate her friend.

"Don't you dare tell me what is and isn't good for me when you clearly can't look after yourself," Kagome replied in a dangerously low tone.

Rin sighed and folded her hands on her lap. "I'm fine. There's nothing wrong with me. I just fell down the stairs, that's all."

"Because you're malnourished! When are you going to learn?"

Sesshoumaru could only sit and stare as he listened to the two women. He didn't like the idea of Rin being malnourished and when he looked closer, even he could tell that what Kagome said was the truth. She looked pale and had definitely lost weight.

"This is the third time, Rin," Kagome said looking at her friend with an expression that hovered somewhere between worry and anger. "I'm getting tired of visiting you in hospital. Honestly, I've seen you more in hospital the past few months than out of it. Why won't you just do what the doctors suggest?"

Rin sighed softly. "It's not that easy, Kagome. If it was as easy as that, I wouldn't be here, would I?"

"You need to take a break from work," Kagome sighed.

"I can't do that!" Rin exclaimed. "I need this job, Kagome. I don't have the same luxuries you do."

There was another moment of silence in the room as the occupants took in what Rin had just said. It was common knowledge that Kagome was a kept woman and that she didn't need to work because of her husband's wealth. In fact, Sesshoumaru was fairly sure that Kagome had probably never worked a day in her life considering how young she was when she married his brother. Still, she seemed to prefer life that way, so he made no comment on her behaviour.

"I can't just take a break from work and expect my job to still be there when I get back. Besides, you know as well as I do that I can't sit still for long enough to be considered a proper rest," Rin carried on and gave her friend a lopsided smile.

"You seem to be doing just fine doing that here," Kagome pointed out with a raised eyebrow.

"That's because I have no choice."

"Maybe we can arrange for you to stay here longer then."

"No, Kagome, don't do that!" Rin begged, eyes wide with fright.

The exchange continued for several more minutes before Kagome clearly gave up trying to convince her friend that a break would be good for her. Sighing unhappily, the pregnant woman struggled to her feet and gave Rin an awkward hug, claiming that she would forcefully make sure the woman took a break if she had visit her in hospital again. She pecked Sesshoumaru on the cheek and did the same to Yuri's sleeping form before disappearing out the door, leaving the two adults to sit in silence.

"I wish she wouldn't do that," Rin sighed and leaned back against her pillows.

"She has a point though," Sesshoumaru murmured, watching her quietly.

"I know she does, but she's never had worked and nor will she ever need to work. She doesn't understand my situation."

"I think she does, but her worry for you clouds her judgement."

Rin smiled slightly as she turned her head on the pillow. "You're probably right."

Their conversation was interrupted when Yuri's doctor appeared in the doorway and gestured for Sesshoumaru to come over. With a quiet sigh, the tall man got to his feet and walked over to the where the doctor stood and waited for the update on Yuri's failing health. Rin watched the scene silently and then looked over at the sleeping girl, feeling a wave of pity wash over her at the sight of the pale, thin girl. Hospitals were never a good place and especially not for children. She couldn't imagine what it must be like to spend your childhood going in and out of hospital. With a frown, she turned her gaze back to the two men standing outside and didn't like the sudden slump of Sesshoumaru's shoulders or the way he looked when he came back in.

He paused in the doorway for a moment as though he was debating whether or not to do something, but then seemed to give up and walked over to Yuri's bedside. Rin watched as Sesshoumaru pulled the covers around her and gently brushed her limp hair from her face before sinking down on the edge of the bed, taking the girl's small hand in his own. Feeling tears building up, she looked away quickly and picked up her book, not wanting to disrupt the little display of affection that she was sure not many people were on the receiving end of.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter III**

A week passed before Rin was finally able to leave the hospital. She was sad to be leaving the little room she shared with Yuri for she had grown quite attached to the little girl. Rin had been in hospital enough times to know that very few people liked to befriend their room mates and had been very grateful when Yuri had befriended her. It was always nice to wake up in the mornings to be greeted by her cheerful voice and Sesshoumaru's quiet nod. Unfortunately though, the time had come for her to leave and she was going to miss the little girl.

Sesshoumaru woke up one morning to find Yuri eating breakfast quietly and the curtains around Rin's bed drawn shut. His first thought was that something had happened and she had somehow taken a turn for the worse, but since Yuri didn't seem perturbed in the slightest by this, he breathed a sigh of relief and cursed himself for jumping to conclusions. There was a rustling sound and he looked up to see a nurse closing the curtains behind her, nodding at him and then leaving the room. He couldn't help but wonder what was going on. Rin had shared this room with Yuri for just over a week and this had never happened once in all that time.

"There you go," he heard a masculine voice say from behind the curtains.

Immediately, Sesshoumaru assumed the voice belonged to the man in her life, but then wondered why said man had not visited her before. That meant that it was someone else. Before he could speculate any more, a doctor stepped out and smiled a greeting at Yuri before following in the nurse's footsteps and leaving the room. There was silence through out the room that was soon broken when the curtains were pushed back to reveal Rin, sitting in the chair beside her bed pulling on a pair of shoes.

"Good morning," she said cheerfully as she noticed that Sesshoumaru was now awake.

"Are you going somewhere?" Sesshoumaru asked, nodding his usual greeting.

"Rin gets to go home today," Yuri said in a slightly subdued tone.

Sesshoumaru raised an eyebrow. "Is that so?"

"Yes."

"Does Kagome know?"

"No she doesn't. She'll just lecture me again."

Rin got to her feet and smooth the creases out of her shirt and trousers before securing one of the pins that held her hair in place. Sesshoumaru looked at her and realised that she was back in work mode. She looked as beautiful as she did on television and he felt his heart sink slightly as he realised that he would soon be back to watching her on television instead of seeing her everyday. He was brought from his thoughts when she came over to Yuri's bed and sat down opposite him.

"Are you going?" Yuri asked, with a sad expression.

"I have to."

"Oh."

"I'll come back and visit you," Rin said with a smile.

"Really?"

"Of course, I will."

Sesshoumaru watched the exchange quietly and found himself hoping that she would come back. Truthfully, he was only as calm as he was because she was with him and he worried that as soon as she left, he would simply fall apart under the worries that plagued him. He watched as Rin kissed the girl's forehead gently and turned to leave. Quickly, he followed her after telling Yuri that he'd be back soon. He found her waiting outside the room with a vague smile.

"I thought you'd come out," she said quietly and started to slowly make her way towards the elevators.

"Will you really come back to visit her?"

"Whenever I have time," Rin said with a bright smile.

"You're going back to work immediately?"

"Tomorrow morning."

"Isn't that too soon?"

"No, it's fine."

Rin stopped in front of the elevators and waited for the doors to open. Turning to face him, she smiled. "I'll see you soon."

*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*

Rin did come back to visit Yuri just like she said and every time she walked into the room, Sesshoumaru felt his heart lighten just a little bit. The woman always had smiles for everyone and usually came bearing gifts for them both as well. She seemed to be perfectly aware that Sesshoumaru had taken up temporary residency in the room and had joked about how uncomfortable the bed was when she noticed that the bed she had previously occupied was now beside Yuri's. However, what she didn't realise was that Sesshoumaru relished the fact that he was using the same bed as she did. In fact, he had waved away the nurse when she wanted to change the pillow cases just so that he could breathe in her calming scent when he slept. Now, standing beside her, that same calming scent teased his senses and seemed to push his worries away. At some point, he noted that that scent was vanilla and wondered why he had never found the scent so pleasing before he met this woman.

However, eventually, even Rin's calming scent and presence could not soothe the knot of worry that had built up within him. Yuri had been in hospital for nearly a month and was still showing no signs of getting better. It was the longest stay she had ever had in a hospital and Sesshoumaru would even go so far as to say her condition was worsening. Even Rin had noticed this, although she didn't mention it for fear of upsetting Sesshoumaru. The girl's breathing had become wheezing and her appetite was virtually none existent. As much as she had come to care for the girl, sometimes Rin found it hard not to let her feelings overwhelm her and she struggled to keep a brave face on for the little girl. Each time she approached the door she would say a quick prayer hoping that somehow the girl had made a miraculous recovery and was now sitting in bed at home, but each time she pulled the door open, she realised that her prayers were not answered. She could only hope that she would not arrive to find that something terrible had happened.

One day, Rin's fears were confirmed as she walked up the corridor towards the room with a growing sense of trepidation only to find Sesshoumaru sitting on one of the plastic chairs in the little waiting room just across from the room Yuri was in. Her blood ran cold when she saw the way his shoulders slumped and how he buried his face in his hands. Gathering her courage, she willed her feet into motion until she was close enough for him to hear the soft tapping of her heels on the tiled floor. He looked up and Rin nearly flinched at how haggard he looked. Nodding quickly, he leaned back in his chair to stare at the ceiling as though it could provide an answer for everything.

"Here," Rin held out a bottle of water and hoped he would take it.

"Thanks."

Not caring that it was clearly the bottle Rin had been drinking from, Sesshoumaru lifted it to his lips and drank deeply, relishing the feeling of the cool liquid sliding down his throat. Sighing softly, he put the lid back on the bottle and rubbed his eyes wearily. Turning the bottle around in his hands, he took a deep breath and looked at her.

"She's got pneumonia," Sesshoumaru said quietly, returning his gaze to the bottle.

"Oh dear," Rin said softly, knowing that the illness could be fatal. "How did this happen? I only saw her two days ago."

"She's had it for a while; they just took too long to diagnose it."

"Will she be okay?"

"I don't know." Sesshoumaru sighed. "The doctors are with her now."

"What happened?" Rin was fearful of the answer, but needed to know.

"They haven't told me yet."

Rin could only stay a couple of hours and for the full two hours she was at the hospital, she sat outside in the waiting room beside Sesshoumaru. Every so often, she would glance at him from the corner of her eye and see that he looked as though there were an enormous weight hanging above his head. Eventually though, she could stay no longer and had to leave. She rose from her seat, noticing the way his eyes followed her movement as she turned to look at him when he too got to his feet.

"Will you let me know if anything happens?" she asked, scribbling her phone number down hastily on a piece of paper.

"Sure."

*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*

Rin sat down heavily on the soft seat just outside the area where they were filming the latest news broadcast. She frowned slightly and wondered why she had to be the one sent out to some park in the middle of town when it was usually the more seasoned presenters that did those jobs. Sighing, she supposed they thought her more capable than the others who she worked with and supposed that she should take it as a compliment. Looking up, she watched as people wandered around, talking happily and looking for all the world as though their job just happened to be their hobby as well. One of her co presenters, Sango, caught her eye and waved at her, smiling cheerfully as Rin got to her feet and slowly made her way back over to the set for yet another interview.

Just as she was about to walk away, she heard her phone and reached down into her bag to fish it out. The number on the screen was one she didn't recognise, but shrugged it off as she answered. There was a moment of silence before she mumbled something and snapped the phone shut and hurriedly picked up her bag and coat as she ran towards the nearest exit.

"Rin!" her co presenter called after her, looking as confused as everyone else. "Come back! We have an interview to do!"

Rin paused for a moment and turned back to her co workers. "I'm sorry. I have to go."

The rest of what she babbled out made little sense but everyone caught enough odd words to string together something about someone being in hospital. With a gasp, Sango got to her feet and ran over to her friend, enveloping her in a hug before releasing her. It seemed that everyone now understood the situation and the man in charge simply nodded his head, giving her a brief smile of encouragement before she took off towards the hospital.

Rin arrived at the hospital ten minutes later, gasping for breath as she ran as fast as she could through the crowded corridors. Yuri's room eventually came into sight and she sighed a brief sigh of relief that was cut off when she saw Sesshoumaru sitting outside the room in a similar pose to the one she had seen him in when she had last visited. Coming to a sudden stop halfway down the corridor, she wondered if she really wanted to intrude on this private, family matter, but reasoned that if he didn't want her here then he wouldn't have called. Still trying to catch her breath, she ran down the last distance between her and where Sesshoumaru sat.

Sesshoumaru looked up when he heard hurried footsteps and saw Rin running down the corridor towards him, her face flushed from exertion and her breathing ragged as though she had just run a marathon. Getting to his feet, he nodded a greeting at her before she even stopped beside him and waited patiently for her to catch her breath as she sank down into the chair beside the one he had just vacated.

"Are you alright?" he asked in concern, the crisis of the moment briefly forgotten as he sat beside her.

"Fine," she said between pants. "How's Yuri?"

It was the question he knew would be asked, but he dreaded giving the reply. He looked away, unable to look her in the eye for a moment before he worked up the courage to look Rin in the eyes. In her brown eyes, he saw the worry she had kept hidden and the fear about what he was going to say.

"Gone," Sesshoumaru said quietly, looking back down at his clasped hands with a frown.

"Gone? What do you mean gone?" Rin demanded, although she already knew the answer.

"Respiratory failure."

Rin gasped softly and stared at him, not knowing what to say or think. She leaned forward, covering her face with her hands as she felt tears well up in her eyes. There was silence between them for a while as they each tried to come to terms with what had happened. Rin regained her composure, determined not to cry – yet – there was plenty of time for that later, but it would do no good to anyone if she broke down in tears now. Taking a deep, shaky breath, she sat up again and turned to look at Sesshoumaru and felt her heart wrench at how distraught he seemed. For once he didn't seem to care that he was showing the emotions he kept hidden so well. Rin had been through the death of a loved one ordeal, she knew how much it hurt, but she knew that it hurt so much more when there was no one to give the support you needed.

"What now?" she asked softly, turning her gaze back to the silent man beside her.

"What now indeed," Sesshoumaru murmured, almost as though he was talking to himself.

Before either of them could say anything more, Yuri's doctor approached them with a serious expression that Rin knew was reserved for the worst news a doctor could give. She took a deep breath and watched as Sesshoumaru rose to his feet as the man came to a stop in front of them. Rin waited while the pair walked away to talk and thought over the past month and a half she had spent visiting the girl. She had known from the very beginning that the child was weak, but Rin had always prayed that she would make a recovery. As she looked back on the time they spent together, Rin knew that the child was better off now and that she wouldn't suffer any more, but it was still hard to come to terms with what had happened. It was obvious to anyone that that child had been the light of Sesshoumaru's life and now she could only wonder what he would do now that that light had been extinguished.

"I need to contact the family," Sesshoumaru said, suddenly reappearing at her side and pulling her from her thoughts. "Make funeral preparations."

Rin nodded and stood up again. "Let me know if I can help in any way."

Sesshoumaru looked at the diminutive woman who stood beside him, barely reaching his shoulder even in her heels, and couldn't quite believe that she was the one who had been at his side through all the ups and downs of the past month and a half. He was grateful that it was her because in her own way, she had given him the support he hadn't gotten from Kagura and now she continued to give him that support even though the reason for her seeing him was longer present. She was a genuinely kind person and Sesshoumaru couldn't be more grateful that Yuri had met someone like her before she died.

"Thank you," he said sincerely.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter IV**

The day of the funeral dawned bright but with a biting chill in the wind that no amount of warm clothing seemed to be able to keep out. Rin shivered slightly as she stepped out of the taxi and pulled her long dark green coat tightly around her, wrapping her hands in the ends of her long scarf. Sighing quietly, she looked around her at the various people wandering towards the old church building that lay half hidden by the surrounding trees, the grounds littered with dull, decaying tombstones and the occasional brightly polished marble headstone glinting in the bright morning sunlight. Rin smiled to herself as her eyes landed on a wall separating the church grounds from the large fields that surrounded it. Ivy hung in long tendrils over the top of the wall and swaying gently in the wind, its tips running along the mounted plaques. Not seeing anyone around who she knew, Rin diverted her course to go over to the wall and she brushed aside the ivy hanging over on plaque near the top of the wall, partially hiding it from view. Smiling softly, she let the ivy drop back into place as she turned around and joined the little groups heading for the church's large double doors.

Sesshoumaru had been standing by the doors beside Kagura as they greeted the people as they entered the church. His gaze was drawn to a figure in dark green amidst a sea of figures clad in black and as he looked closer, he realised that the figure was Rin. He hadn't bothered to tell Kagura about Rin because he knew that she would probably just cause a scene or be blatantly rude to the woman who had been nothing but kind to both him and her daughter. The woman beside him sighed and cast a bored look at the people walking towards them before disappearing indoors leaving Sesshoumaru alone at the doors. Shrugging, he looked out and his gaze once again fell on Rin who was walking towards the memorial plaques nearby. He watched as she paused to look at one before turning to come towards the church. Her brown eyes landed on him as she approached and she smiled slightly.

"How're you?" Rin asked softly as she came to a stop beside him, accepting the order of service offered to her by one of the ushers standing by the doors.

"So far so good," Sesshoumaru replied, his voice devoid of emotion and his face strangely calm.

Rin nodded and looked over her shoulder at the people behind her waiting to express their condolences. "Good. I'll see you after the service."

As she disappeared into the dim church, Sesshoumaru watched her leave silently, wishing that she would turn around and stay beside him. He needed the calm that she seemed to radiate. Beneath the calm façade he put up, Sesshoumaru was at a loss. His emotions were mixed and he felt strangely detached from what was happening, almost as though he was in a dream and nothing around him was real. Kagura was no help at all having only turned up at the funeral for appearances' sake rather than to actually mourn the child's passing. She clearly had no interest in anything that was happening or any interest in how Sesshoumaru was dealing with the situation. Kagome and Inuyasha had been his support since they had heard about the child, but even they didn't have the same calming effect on him that Rin did. The brief conversation he had had with her only moments before had calmed his nerves. He had seen concern in her eyes and how she didn't seem entirely convinced when he said he was fine. She was surprisingly perceptive. Blinking, Sesshoumaru looked up when he noticed yet another man standing in front of him and a tearful woman at his side. Sighing to himself, he brought himself out of his thoughts knowing that he should focus on the task at hand before trying to deal with his mixed feelings and thoughts.

The service hadn't been very long, but Rin had smiled slightly as she heard the tributes that a few people gave to the child, a couple of them had even been somewhat amusing and lifted the mood slightly. When the service came to an end, people drifted past her as they headed for the exit. Kagome and Inuyasha had stopped to talk to her for a few minutes before leaving for a doctor's appointment and Rin found herself one of the last people in the church save the priest who was talking to Sesshoumaru at the front of the church. Sighing to herself, Rin got up and looked around the church once more before heading outside to the now deserted grounds.

This particular always brought back fond memories for her and she slowly made her way across to the gravel pathway that weaved between the rows of tombstones. The chilly wind had picked up again and her long coat fluttered around her, but Rin ignored it as she headed down the path, her destination coming into sight. A black marble headstone sat at the end of the row she walked along and she stopped in front of it, picking up the hem of her skirt slightly as she dropped to her knees in front of it. She read the name on the stone and smiled to herself as the image of her mother came to mind. A frown creased her brow as she realised that the marble was dull in comparison to some of the other headstones and made a mental note to come back soon to tend to it. Adjusting her sitting position, she stretched her legs out in front of her and picked a daisy from the grass nearby. Lazily, she plucked the petals out as she started speaking softly, telling her mother about everything that had happened in her life since her last visit. She knew that there was probably no point in speaking to a headstone, but somehow Rin always felt a bit better after doing so.

Sesshoumaru stepped out of the church, his unbuttoned black coat whipping around his legs as the cool wind rushed past him, momentarily clearing his troubled mind, but it soon fell back into turmoil as the gust of wind passed. Sighing to himself, he sighed and wondered what to do with himself now that everything was over. The past month had been devoted solely to Yuri and now he found himself at a loss. Amber eyes looked around the seemingly empty grounds and widened slightly when they landed on a figure sitting beside a headstone. A closer look revealed it to be Rin and he frowned, wondering why she was still here.

"Rin?" Sesshoumaru asked quietly as he came to stop behind her.

She jumped slightly and turned wide eyes to the man standing behind her. "You startled me!" she gasped.

"Sorry," he apologised and turned his eyes to the name on the headstone she sat beside. "A relative?"

"My mother," Rin replied with a fond smile at the name.

"I'm sorry."

Rin shrugged slightly and got to her feet, dusting off a few blades of grass that clung to her skirt. She looked up and met Sesshoumaru's amber gaze with a slight frown. The response he had given her at the door when she greeted him had been blatant lie and she could see straight through the façade he had put up. Sesshoumaru looked away and walked beside her as they made their way over to a bench that sat against a wall nearby. He wondered what Rin was thinking when he caught her frown, but suspected that she was probably going to keep it to herself.

"You don't fool me," Rin said quietly after they sat in silence for a few minutes, tilting her head back to look up at the clear blue sky.

"I'm sorry?"

"You heard me."

Sesshoumaru frowned at her slightly stern tone of voice and once again wondered what she was thinking about. There seemed to be something different about her today, but he couldn't put his finger on what it was. Suddenly it dawned on him that her smile was missing. Normally she hid behind smiles and greeted him happily each time she saw him, but as he glanced at her out of the corner of his eye, he saw no smile, not even the hint of one. Her brow was creased slightly and she looked deep in thought as she watched a couple of wispy looking clouds float past. Rin Oshiro was truly an enigma. He thought he was beginning to understand her and now she brought out another side to her that he wondered if many people had seen.

"I understand that you're upset," Rin murmured, her hair blowing around her face as the wind picked up again.

"Do you?" Sesshoumaru asked somewhat bitterly, unable to help himself.

"Of course I do. You saw that headstone over there," she replied with a raised eyebrow as she nodded towards it. "That's not all of it either, but that's beside the point."

"What is the point?"

"The point is that you'll never get over it if you bottle it up. I understand that everyone grieves differently, but keeping everything to yourself is not wise."

"So I'm told."

Sighing, Rin got to her feet and closed her coat around her before turning to look at Sesshoumaru, motioning for him to follow her as she started back down the path towards the church. Curiosity piqued, Sesshoumaru caught up with her and fell into step beside her as he thought over her words. He knew the whole story about bottling everything up and he'd heard it so many times since Yuri's death that he was heartily sick of hearing the words no matter what good intent the person had. The fact that it was Rin now telling him this irked him all the more as he had thought that she would have known that he didn't need to hear those words and that they wouldn't take away his grief.

He looked up as he noticed they had come to a stop and realised that they were standing in front of the wall he had seen Rin approach earlier. Raising an eyebrow, Sesshoumaru looked down at the petite woman beside him who merely shrugged slightly. Staying where he was, he watched as Rin lifted the ivy that partially covered a plaque and read the inscription with a frown. The surname was the same as the headstone she had been sitting beside.

"My father," Rin said simply as her fingers lovingly caressed the name before her fingers dropped to the second name that was written below her father's. "My brother."

"Why are they not buried beside your mother?" Sesshoumaru asked with a frown, not sure what to make of the situation.  
"Their bodies were never found."

"I see."

Rin looked at him and smiled gently. "I do understand how you feel. I speak from experience."

Sesshoumaru could only nod mutely as his gaze fell on the names again. He wanted to know what had happened to them, but he also knew that if Rin was going to tell him then she would have already done so. Perhaps he would find out eventually. Dealing with grief was not something he was familiar with and unfamiliar things didn't sit well with him. It made him feel helpless because he couldn't prepare for what lay ahead and that annoyed him. He was always prepared for the things he knew he would have to face, but this had caught him off guard. Rin laid a hand on his arm and gestured towards the gate.

"Let's go. You'll feel a bit better," she said and led the way towards the street.

"Would you like a lift home?" Sesshoumaru asked, grasping at an opportunity to take his mind off the day's events.

"Yes please."

*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*

The journey to Rin's house had been a blur and an hour later, Sesshoumaru wondered how he had ended up sitting on her sofa while she bustled around the kitchen making a meal for them both. She had smiled and told him to make himself at home before disappearing and now as he sat on the sofa, he felt slightly out of place in her house. Just a look around the living room was enough to ascertain that her home had been furnished purely with comfort in mind and Sesshoumaru was surprised to find himself almost completely at ease despite not having been here before. The scent of vanilla, her scent, surrounded him and he felt himself calm slightly as he inhaled the scent deeply and an image of Rin came to mind.

"Sorry, I don't have much in the house at the moment," Rin apologised with a blush as she set a plate of sandwiches down on the table. "I haven't had time to go shopping lately."

"This is fine, thank you," Sesshoumaru replied, grateful that she was being so kind.

Rin slipped her shoes off and padded into the living root barefoot, dropping down into her favourite armchair near the fireplace. In the winter she would curl up beside the fire at night and she could tell that she would soon be doing so again as the winter weather seemed to have arrived overnight. She looked over at Sesshoumaru who sat on the sofa nearby. His gaze was fixed on his hands and he looked deep in thought. Frowning slightly, Rin could think of no way to help him except by providing a distraction of some sort and then her eyes landed on the fireplace.

"I'll make a fire," she announced suddenly causing Sesshoumaru to look at her in surprise.

"Allow me," he said after a moment hesitation and slowly made his way to the fireplace where everything was located.

Watching his movements, Rin saw that the usual fluidity was gone and his movements seemed disjointed as though his mind was preoccupied. Realising that her bright idea had failed spectacularly, she sighed to herself. When the fire was lit, she smiled at Sesshoumaru who merely nodded in response before sitting down heavily on the carpet he had been kneeling on.

"What happened to your parents?" he asked after a moment, knowing that it was a question she may not answer.

"They were murdered," Rin replied simply, her face showing no emotion at all when Sesshoumaru stared at her in shock.

"How can you be so calm about it?"

"It was many years ago. I've dealt with the grief of losing them all and moved on. There's no point dwelling on the fact that I didn't have them as I grew up. I'd rather remember them with smiles than tears."

Sesshoumaru nodded and looked into the fire, watching the flames leaping up as though they were reaching for something just out of their reach. Rin was incredible. He didn't think that even he could be so calm about what she had just told him. It was true that he had impressive self control, but he wondered if it would extend to being emotionless about a parent's death and somehow doubted that it would. Sighing to himself, he shifted and leaned against Rin's chair as he continued to stare into the fire, deep in thought.

"What would Yuri say if she was here?" Rin asked quietly, her gaze meeting his as he looked up at her.

"Probably to stop being bad tempered," Sesshoumaru replied with a vague trace of amusement in his voice as he spoke of the girl.

"That certainly seems like the sort of thing she'd say," Rin agreed with a smile. "She never did beat around the bush."

The pair sat in silence, each lost in their thoughts, and it was only when long shadows fell across the floor that Sesshoumaru realised how late it was. He truly had no desire to leave Rin's house. It felt like a sanctuary at the moment. A place where Kagura couldn't reach him, where his family couldn't shower him with attention and where he could relax without fear of being judged for any weakness he may show. Glancing over his shoulder at the woman who sat in the chair behind him, he felt his breath catch in his throat as she smiled gently at him and the meaning behind it was as clear as crystal. If he wanted to stay then she would welcome him.

Smirking slightly, he closed his eyes and leaned back against the chair but they opened moments later when he felt movement behind him as Rin got out of her chair to sit on the soft carpet in front of the fire. Her pale skin glowed in the light of the fire and Sesshoumaru wondered briefly if she was malnourished again, but she had seemed fine throughout the time he had spent with her that day so he pushed the thoughts aside. Rin caught his eye and looked up, blushing slightly under his scrutiny and looked down, gazing into the fire as he had done moments before.

"What will you do now?" Rin asked quietly, not entirely sure that she wanted to hear the answer.

"I'd like to stay here if you don't mind."

"N-Not at all," she said quickly, slightly flustered by the admission. "But that wasn't what I meant."

"I know what you meant," Sesshoumaru said with a smirk before he looked serious. "There's no longer a reason to stay married to Kagura so I suppose getting a divorce comes first and then just try to move on."

Rin nodded. "If I can help then please let me know."

She lay back on the soft carpet suddenly and sighed as she looked up at the ceiling. Brown eyes widened slightly when she felt a presence beside her and she looked over to find Sesshoumaru propped up against a chair just behind her, looking down at her with his usual serious expression. Smiling slightly, Rin turned her attention back to the ceiling, not sure what to say and feeling slightly awkward knowing that his gaze was fixed on her.

"I always knew she would die," Sesshoumaru murmured, his gaze on the floor and a frown creasing his brow.

"I'm sorry?" Rin stared at him in surprise and confusion.

"She lived longer than everyone expected her to. I cared for her like she was my daughter and now it feels like something has been taken from my life."

"She's not your daughter?" Rin asked, completely confused.

"Kagura's daughter from a previous marriage."

"I see."

"It was hard not to care for her when you saw the way her mother treated her. I didn't want to get involved in the beginning, I knew she would die and I didn't want the sorrow that would inevitably come with her death if I formed a bond with her, but in the end, I couldn't help but care for her."

Rin couldn't believe what she was hearing. She had told him not to bottle everything up, but she hadn't expected him to actually start talking about it all and to her no less! Unable to comprehend why he was open with her when he had his family around him who were eager to give him support, Rin could only be glad that he chose her to be his confidante. Looking up at him, she saw the troubled expression on his face and knew that he was hurting more than he was willing to let on. He had fallen silent and Rin was at a loss for what to do with such a stoic man who was so unwilling to acknowledge his feelings. There was little she could do for him if that was how he chose to live his life. She pushed herself up and knelt beside him, biting her lip as she wondered what to do about his melancholy. Eventually, Rin gathered her courage and leaned towards him, wrapping her arms around his broad shoulders and pulling him towards her.

Sesshoumaru's eyes snapped open when he felt arms wrap around him and they widened as he felt himself drawn down toward the petite woman kneeling beside him. He hadn't expected this of all things, but even in his depressive state of mind, he was pleased about the unexpected contact with the woman who plagued his dreams so often. Deciding to act in instinct for once, Sesshoumaru wrapped his arms around her tiny waist and buried his face in the crook of her neck, sighing softly as the scent of vanilla calmed his frazzled nerves. Rin had not been expecting a response from the stoic man. If anything, she had thought that he would push her away in disgust and then leave, but he surprised her by wrapping his arms around her and pulling her forwards to kneel between his long legs. She felt dwarfed by his much larger frame, but was still determined to try and give him the comfort that hadn't been available to her when she needed it.

"Thank you, Rin," Sesshoumaru murmured, his voice muffled as he buried it further into her neck.

Rin's reply was to tighten her arms around him, but a quiet gasp left her lips as she felt herself pulled flush against him and she began to wonder if this had been the right thing to do. When she felt Sesshoumaru relax against her, she decided that it didn't matter if she had made a rash decision as long as he felt better. Somewhere along the line she had found herself falling for the man and Rin realised that if she hadn't fallen for him already, no doubt she would have done by now.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter V**

Rin didn't know how long they had sat beside the fire or how long they had held each other, but when she opened her eyes they met nothing the dim glow of the embers that had once been the fire. The faint light cast long shadows around the room and she shuddered slightly as her overactive imagination and long standing fear of darkness came into play. Hesitantly she sat back on her heels and looked around the room, trying to remember the layout so as to locate the nearest light. Her gaze drifted around the room as she tried to get her bearings and her eyes widened when she saw a pair of amber eyes staring back at her through the dim light. It was then that she remembered what had happened and realised that she must have fallen asleep, but Sesshoumaru was still very much awake. She smiled at him, not sure if he would see it in the light, but sighed to herself when he smirked in response.

"What time is it?" Rin asked, her voice slightly hoarse from sleep.

"After midnight," Sesshoumaru replied, wishing that she hadn't moved.

"You should've woken me up!"

"You looked too comfortable and happy."

Blushing, Rin looked away and Sesshoumaru smirked again. She had looked comfortable and he certainly wasn't going to complain if she wanted to sleep against him. When he had realised that she had fallen asleep, he leaned back against the chair behind him and held her against him gently. In the past he had held other women, but it had always felt awkward and for some reason, holding Rin in this way felt as natural as the passing of days. While she had been asleep, Sesshoumaru had taken the time to marvel at how delicate she truly was. Her slim body looked like it was made of porcelain and she was so light that he felt like she would break in his arms if he wasn't careful. Long dark hair tumbled out of it bun and fell over his hands as they rested on her back. Tiny hands had fisted into his shirt and held on as though she thought he would leave. He smirked at the thought. There was no way he was going to be leaving this house unless she threw him out.

"The floor can't be comfortable," Rin mused and pushed herself up to her feet, looking down at him with a smile.

"Hm."

A light came on, blinding the pair momentarily as they tried to accustom their eyes to the sudden light. Rin sighed in relief from where she stood beside the small lamp she had turned on. She looked down to see that Sesshoumaru hadn't moved at all and was sitting on the floor looking up at her with a strange expression and she couldn't help blushing although she wasn't sure why she was blushing.

"Since it's so late, you're going to have to stay here," Rin said, attempting to keep her voice calm and the blush down.

"Thank you."

Rin silently led him up the stairs and down the corridor to the only spare bedroom, very conscious of the fact that it was right next door to her own bedroom. She wasn't entirely sure why the idea of him sleeping in the room beside hers made her blush even more, but fought her blush down as she tried to regain the control of herself that seemed to have slipped at some point during the day. Walking into the room, she hastily turned on the bedside lamp before pulling back the covers and closing the curtains and eventually turning around to face Sesshoumaru, knowing that what she had done was not necessary as he could have done it himself, but she found herself in need of a distraction. She stepped back towards the door and gave him a smile, not sure what else she could do.

"Sleep well," she said quietly and closed the door behind her as she left.

*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*

Sesshoumaru had lain awake for most of what was left of the night, unable to sleep as his thoughts churned through his head. He had awoken as sunlight started to creep under the curtains and he wondered what Rin was doing. Getting out of bed, he walked over to the window and pulled the curtains back, discovering that the bedroom looked out over the front garden. It was a nice house and he was certain that he could live there happily, but he was also certain that he could live anywhere happily as long as Rin was nearby.

He still didn't understand what it was about her that made him feel calm and as though all the worries he had weren't as bad as he had first thought. The world seemed to end the day before as he watched Yuri's coffin be taken away for cremation, but as Sesshoumaru thought about it now, it was merely the end of one chapter in his life and he was about to begin a new one. Rin didn't judge him when he spoke of how he had felt about the girl the day before or how he felt about her death, she had simply listened and not tried to use useless words to make him feel better. Rin was living proof that the death of a loved one didn't mean that life came to a stand still. She knew better than anyone else he knew what he should do next and she also seemed willing to help him if he would ask.

Hours later, Sesshoumaru had decided to take his leave although he was fairly sure Rin wouldn't object if he were to stay longer, but he had things to attend to and Rin had merely smiled in understanding. She walked down to the bottom of the garden where his car sat waiting for him.

"You know where to find me if you need anything," Rin offered with a smile as she watched him walk through the little gate.

"I don't know how to thank you for what you've done," Sesshoumaru admitted, frowning slightly as he thought about everything she had told him and how she had opened his eyes to see that life didn't end with Yuri's death.

"Don't worry about that," she said softly. "I just didn't want you to make the same mistakes I did."

"Thank you."

Rin almost jumped in shock when a large hand cupped her cold cheek and caressed the skin gently but she kept her composure and smiled in return, unable to keep herself from leaning into his touch slightly. She was slightly surprised when she received a very vague smile before he turned away and got into his car. Rin stood at the gate for a long time even after the car had disappeared as she considered the events from the day before. She had noticed that Sesshoumaru didn't look lost when he had come downstairs that morning and she was glad to see that he had realised that life went on. It would be a long road to recovery, but Rin knew that Sesshoumaru could manage it without any problem. Smiling at the thought, she turned on her heel and disappeared into the house.

*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*

A couple of months passed and Sesshoumaru had heard nothing from Rin, but then he supposed that was to be expected as she didn't have a way of contacting him like he could contact her. Just as she had predicted, he was feeling better about life now that he had sorted out the main problems in his life. He had divorced Kagura and it had been a messy business what with her shrieking at him like a fish wife even in the presence of their attorneys. Sesshoumaru noticed that both men had flinched when she began shouting and he knew that they understood exactly why he was asking for the divorce. Although he technically owned the house they lived in together, he had packed him belongings and left, not caring about what he left behind. The house was full of memories that he didn't need and a fresh start would include a home where there were no memories that would haunt him.

As the days passed and life fell back to what it used to be before he met Kagura, Sesshoumaru found that he couldn't shake the habit of turning on the television to see Rin's face. She was now only appearing for the evening news but he remembered her talking about her hours being cut and supposed that just being able to see her was enough although he wished it was her in person and not on the screen. Sesshoumaru started to notice that as time passed, Rin stopped appearing on the early evening bulletins and then eventually stopping appearing altogether. It had worried him and frustrated him that his only way of seeing her had been cut off from him, but he supposed there was a reason for that. With Rin not on television, there was no point watching it and he only hoped that he would see her again somehow.

The shrill ringing of the phone in his office jarred his frayed nerves as Sesshoumaru sat at his desk at work despite the fact that it was well after the time everyone went home. He didn't know what time it was and he didn't really care, but he did want the phone to stop ringing. Sighing, he reasoned that it had to be important if someone had thought to look for him here and he leaned forward to pick up the phone.

"Yes?"

"Sesh come quickly," Inuyasha's slightly panicked voice came across the line.

"Inuyasha?"

"I need help, I don't know what to do!"

"About what?"

"Kagome's gone into labour!" the younger brother all but wailed down the phone.

"Call an ambulance then."

"I… uh… I didn't think of that," Inuyasha sounded sheepish and then paused briefly. "Will you come to the hospital?"

"If you wish."

Half an hour later, Sesshoumaru was striding through the halls of the hospital he knew Inuyasha would have Kagome brought to and soon came face to face with his brother who looked tired and very worried. Sesshoumaru nodded in response to Inuyasha's smile and looked around him as he took a seat on a chair nearby. A handful of men and women were scattered about the room, all displaying various states of anxiety and excitement. Sighing to himself, Sesshoumaru looked at his watch and realised that it was 9pm. As he rubbed his eyes, his sharp ears caught the sound of hurried footsteps, probably high heeled shoes judging by the tapping sound that came with the footsteps. They were approaching rapidly and he looked up and stared in surprise to see Rin hurrying down the hall towards them.

"Rin, you came!" Inuyasha sounded relieved as she came to a stop and he immediately enveloped her in a bear hug.

Rin merely smiled as she returned the hug as best she could. "Of course I did."

"Were you working?" Inuyasha asked, stepping back to look at her seriously.

Just as Rin was about to reply, a nurse appeared beside them and told Inuyasha he could see Kagome. He had looked surprised for a moment and then jumped at the opportunity, leaving Rin and Sesshoumaru outside to wait for news. Sesshoumaru looked at Rin carefully as she moved to sit beside him and realised that she had lost weight again. She had dark circles under her eyes and looked frighteningly pale. It worried him that she looked so much more fragile than he remembered and at that moment, he wanted nothing more than to wrap his arms around her.

"The day's finally here," Rin murmured with a smile.

"Indeed."

"Are you pleased about being an uncle?"

"I hadn't given it much thought. I wonder if it'll be a male or female."

"I know Kagome wants a girl," Rin replied. "Inuyasha wants a son though."

Sesshoumaru grunted. "Always at odds with each other. It's a miracle they're still married."

"I hope they don't argue too much around the child. It'd be awful it picked up its father's bad language."

"He would truly be a disgrace as a father if the child did."

Rin laughed and sat giggling to herself about that statement until her giggles turned to coughs. Sesshoumaru looked at her in surprise when he heard the coughs. They didn't sound bad, but it just seemed strange for Rin to have one as she had never seemed to have one before. Seeming to sense the question that was coming, Rin raised a hand and waved it dismissively as she reached for a large bottle of water in her bag.

"Sorry about that," she looked slightly embarrassed. "My throat's a bit dry."

"Should you not ask a doctor for medication?"

"Don't overact," Rin said with a smile. "It's just a cough; it'll pass in a couple of days."

They sat in silence for a while, wondering if Kagome was alright and eventually Inuyasha appeared briefly to give them an update. As soon as he was done, he retreated into Kagome's room again and Rin sighed.

"I need a hot drink," she said quietly before looking at Sesshoumaru. "Do you want one?"

"Please."

Nodding with a bright smile that seemed at odds with her very pale face. She put her bag on the floor after taking her purse from within it and got to her feet, staggering slightly as she seemed to be having trouble with her balance. Frowning slightly, Sesshoumaru grabbed her arm when she looked like she would fall over and waited until she was steady on her feet before letting go. She smiled her thanks and walked away down the hall as Sesshoumaru watched her carefully, wondering if maybe he should have gone with her. Much to his surprise, she came back about 5 minutes later looking cheerful and carrying two cups of coffee. She handed one to him and sat down beside him, sighing softly to herself as she did so.

"You know Kagome will probably skin you alive if she finds out you're malnourished again," Sesshoumaru said quietly, keeping his gaze fixed on the steam rising from his coffee as he spoke.

"She won't find out," Rin replied after debating whether or not to admit to it or not. "Besides, I'm not as malnourished as you think."

"Really?" he raised an eyebrow at her and his expression clearly showed that he didn't believe her. "So what will you tell Kagome when you see her?"

"Nothing. She'll be so happy with her baby that she hopefully won't notice."

"Good luck trying to fool her."

Sesshoumaru knew that Kagome was very perceptive and it was very hard to hide anything from her. She seemed to have a knack for finding things out without directly asking about them and he knew that Rin knew that as well as he did. He was glad that she didn't try to lie and say that she was fine because it was obvious to anyone that she was anything but fine, but he knew that despite her joy over her new child, Kagome would definitely notice Rin's condition. It was just a question of whether or not she would say anything about it.

Hours passed slowly and Sesshoumaru began to lose patience. The waiting area they sat in was not very warm as the doors kept opening and closing, letting the cold night air in as people rushed in and out. The few men who paced nearby were beginning to annoy him even though he knew they had a good cause for anxiety and the overly cheerful nurses who walked past and whispered to each other as their gazes landed on him didn't help the situation much. He could see the blatantly lustful gazes of several women, patients and nurses alike, who looked at him and tried to catch his attention only to be disappointed when he ignored them. Overall, he was beginning to wish the child would be born so he could get out of the place as he knew he would never hear the end of it from Inuyasha if he left before the child was born.

Rin in the meantime occupied herself with the various magazines that sat on the table nearby. She had no interest in any of the articles within them, but needed something to do. However, eventually even the magazines failed to hold her attention and she threw them down in disgust. Glancing at her watch she saw that they had been sitting in the waiting room for nearly four hours and she sighed as she looked at the door to Kagome's room, assuming that the child was not born yet as Inuyasha had yet to come out with the grin of a proud father. Her mind as weary and her body ached; all she wanted to do was curl up in her bed and sleep until everything felt better.

The pair sat in silence as they each wished to be at home asleep and after nearly half an hour, Sesshoumaru felt a weight on his shoulder. Looking down he found Rin asleep in her chair and her head against his shoulder. Smiling to himself, he wondered if he should wake her so that she could find somewhere a bit more comfortable to sleep, but decided against it and chose instead to shift in his seat, putting an arm along the back of her chair and adjusting her so that she was tucked into his side snugly. He didn't care what people thought and didn't particularly care what his brother would say if he saw them, all he cared about was the woman who slept soundly against him.

Another few hours passed quickly and eventually, Inuyasha came out of the room with a grin, ready to express his joy to Rin and Sesshoumaru. As he stepped out of Kagome's room, his eyes scanned the room for the pair and they widened when he finally located them in the far corner of the room. A grin crossed his face as he saw a sleeping Rin curled up against his brother's side while Sesshoumaru had an arm wrapped around her shoulders as he leaned against the wall, also asleep. Inuyasha's grin widened and he began to wonder if there was hope for the pair yet. Hearing Kagome's voice from the room behind him, he remembered what he had come out for and made his way quietly towards the sleeping pair, not really wanting to wake them.

Sesshoumaru's eyes opened slowly as he felt something flick his forehead and he looked around wondering what had woken him. Amber eyes widened as they landed on his grinning brother who towered over him and he frowned slightly. Inuyasha didn't give him a chance to speak as he looked down at Rin with an affectionate smile.

"Wake your girlfriend up and come meet your niece," Inuyasha instructed before turning on his heel and walking back into Kagome's room.

Blinking in confusion, Sesshoumaru stared at his brother's retreating back. His girlfriend? Not sure what Inuyasha had meant, he was about to sit up when he felt the weight against his side shift slightly and he looked down. Rin was still fast asleep and curled into his side. Realising what Inuyasha meant, Sesshoumaru shook his head slightly. His girlfriend indeed, if only that were true.

"Rin, wake up." Sesshoumaru nudged her gently and watched as her eyes opened slowly, looking around her as she tried to get her bearings. Her eyes widened when she remembered where she was and she looked up at him, slightly surprised that she was curled up against him. "The child's been born."

"Really?" Rin exclaimed, sitting up straight in her chair as her eyes showed her excitement.

"Inuyasha wants us to go in."

Nodding, Rin got to her feet and followed Sesshoumaru across the waiting area to Kagome's room. She stepped inside with Sesshoumaru in tow and looked over that the little family sitting on Kagome's bed. A smile spread across her face as she watched and then stepped aside as Sesshoumaru cleared his throat.

"You finally woke up, eh?" Inuyasha asked, amusement in his eyes as he looked at them. "Come meet your niece, Sesh."

Hesitantly, Sesshoumaru left Rin's side and approached Kagome's bed so cautiously that Rin wanted to laugh. Anyone would think he was afraid of the child. He looked at the tiny bundle and his eyes widened when he saw dark hair and amber eyes staring back at him. Truly a mixture of both parents, he mused and wondered if the child would inherit its father's bad temper or its mother's calm demeanour. He shook his head and backed away when Kagome had asked if he wanted to hold the baby and instead chose to stand beside Rin who watched the scene with amusement. Turning to Rin, Kagome asked the same question and Rin gladly accepted the child, immediately taking a liking to the little girl. The proud parents looked on as the child seemed to take a liking to Rin as well and wrapped a tiny hand around one of Rin's fingers. Sesshoumaru watched the little display over Rin's shoulder and it suddenly occurred to him that she would be a good mother.

"They make a good pair, don't they?" Kagome whispered to her husband as she looked at them

"They look like a family," Inuyasha agreed. "They really should get together."

"That will happen in due course, dear," Kagome teased with a mischievous look in her eyes.


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter VI**

Weeks turned to months and Sesshoumaru only saw Rin briefly when he visited Inuyasha and Kagome. He was relieved that each time he saw her; she looked a little bit healthier than she had the night at the hospital. They spoke only a little as most of the conversation was dominated by Inuyasha who had taken to fatherhood easily and took every chance to spoil his daughter. The little girl who they had named Hanako had taken a liking to Rin much to Kagome's delight and seemed perfectly happy to spend time with her. As a result, Rin was always the first choice to babysit the baby if Kagome and Inuyasha were going out which they didn't do very often. Sesshoumaru had been amused to hear her now called 'Aunt Rin' by both Kagome and Inuyasha and she always blushed at the new nickname but retaliated by calling them 'Mama and Papa' which always ended up with everyone laughing happily. Inuyasha had teased his brother saying that they were going to start calling him 'Uncle Sesh,' but one look from his elder brother had sent him running for cover behind his amused wife.

Despite the few times he saw Rin, Sesshoumaru found himself wondering why she was no longer on television and wishing that he didn't have to wait so long to see her. Sighing to himself, he leaned back in his chair and looked at the piece of paper that she had scribbled her phone number onto all those months ago when Yuri was still alive. He had kept the paper even though he had the number stored in his phone and always wondered why couldn't bring himself to pick up the phone and dial that number. His cowardice disgusted him and he tucked the piece of paper safely away in one of his desk drawers as he turned to look out the large window behind his desk.

Knowing that he should return to his work, Sesshoumaru turned back to his desk and noticed the little note Kagome had sent him, asking him to babysit Hanako that very night. Truthfully he wasn't looking forward to it. Although he was pleased to finally have a niece, he was no good with children and especially not with babies. Sighing to himself, he just had to hope that she would be as quiet as Kagome had said and that she would sleep until her parents returned.

Just as he was about to leave the office for the day, the phone on his desk rang loudly, shattering the peaceful silence of his office. Sesshoumaru stared at it for a moment, wondering if he should bother picking it up but eventually decided that it might be Kagome and sat down heavily in his chair as he reached for the phone. He sighed softly as he brought the receiver to his ear and leaned back in his chair, not sure what to expect.

"Yes?"

"Sesshoumaru?"

"Rin?" Sesshoumaru sat forward in his seat, eyes widening in surprise as he heard her laugh softly.

"You sound surprised?"

"I wasn't aware you knew this number."

"I didn't," Rin admitted. "I'm at Kagome's now with Hanako and Kagome left the number beside the phone."

"I see."

"I hear you're babysitting tonight?"

"Indeed."

"Did Inuyasha tell you about the change in plans?"

"No..." Sesshoumaru frowned as he wondered what the plans had changed to.

"They're staying overnight and only returning tomorrow."

"How kind of my brother to inform me," Sesshoumaru remarked sarcastically.

Rin laughed again. "Will you be alright looking after Hanako for that long?"

"I have little experience with children, but if she is as well behaved as her mother says then she should be no problem."

"She shouldn't give you any trouble at all," Rin said in a voice that clearly showed how fond of the child she was. "I'll leave you to your work now. I just wondered if you knew about the change in plans."

"Thank you for informing me," Sesshoumaru said gratefully. "I doubt Inuyasha would have told me."

* * *

A short while later, Sesshoumaru was standing outside his brother's home and wondering if he really wanted to go inside to spend the night looking after a baby, even if that baby was his niece. Sighing, he pushed open the door and stepped inside into a strange quiet that hadn't been present since the child had been born. His sharp ears caught the sound of soft laughter coming from the living room and he slowly made his way towards said room, unsure of what he would find when he got there. However, as he stepped into the room his eyes widened as they landed on two figures sitting on the sofa just below the window. Rin was curled up against the arm the sofa with Hanako on her lap and they were giggling quietly as they looked through a vibrantly coloured picture book. Sesshoumaru watched quietly for a few moments as Rin tickled the little girls stomach gently and found that the sound of the girl's laughter to be quite cute. Deciding to make his presence known, he cleared his throat and stepped into the room, smirking slightly when Rin looked up in surprise.

"You're here!" she exclaimed with a smile before getting to her feet.

"Indeed. Has she been any trouble?"

"None at all," Rin said with a fond smile at the child in her arms. "She's been an angel, her mother would be proud."

Sesshoumaru nodded and watched as Hanako giggled as Rin shifted her in her arms. When the child was comfortable, a small hand wrapped around a strand of Rin's hair and she gave her uncle a toothless smile that was really very endearing. Rin shook her head in amusement and walked towards the tall man standing in the doorway.

"I'll leave you to it," she said with a smile. "I'm a phone call away if you need anything."

"Thank you."

Rin handed the child to her uncle and leaned forward to kiss her forehead gently before smiling cheerfully at the pair and he stood at the door watching Rin leave, Sesshoumaru wondered why he hadn't stopped her and asked her to stay a bit longer. It was the first time he had seen her in so long and he had let that opportunity to spend more time with her slip through his fingers like sand. Mentally cursing his stupidity, he went inside and sat down the sofa Rin had vacated a short while ago. He looked at the child sitting on his lap, staring up at him with curious eyes and he wondered what he was supposed to do now. Picking up the picture book Rin had been looking at, he flipped through it briefly but when he saw no test of any kind, he realised that he had no idea how to entertain the child. It was obvious that she was not tired and she didn't put up much fuss as she was handed from one adult to another as he had expected. As he looked down at the child again, he noticed with some amusement that Hanako was engrossed in playing with his hair and decided not to disturb her. A frown creased her small forehead as the soft silver strands slipped through her chubby fingers and it was then that Sesshoumaru saw the lipstick mark on her forehead where Rin had kissed her. Wiping it off, he noticed that it was a purple colour and momentarily wondered how her lips felt before pushing aside the thought in favour of turning his attention back to his niece.

Eventually, Sesshoumaru found himself at a loss. He had fed the child, changed her and everything else Kagome had asked him to do, but Hanako still seemed to be full of energy. The child was currently sitting in her crib happily playing with the few toys that were nearby and Sesshoumaru sighed as he watched her play happily. It was nearly 11pm and he wondered how the child could not be tired since he felt as though he could fall asleep where he sat, but he supposed that he had spent all day sitting in an office whereas Hanako had spent the day with Rin. Looking up, he remembered Rin's offer and wondered if maybe he should take her up on it as he doubted the child would go to sleep before he did. He looked down at the smiling child as he got to his feet and left her to play while he left the room to call Rin. Calling so late was not nice, but he was at his wit's end.

"Hello?" a sleepy feminine voice answered after a couple of rings.

"Rin?"

"Sesshoumaru? Why are you calling so late?" she asked, stifling a yawn as she spoke.

"I apologise, I know it's late. You weren't asleep were you?"

"Not yet, thinking about it though," Rin replied, her voice still sleepy but he could tell that she was teasing him.

"You remember what you said about you being a phone call away if I needed anything?" Sesshoumaru asked, pausing as he waited for her response.

"Mmm..."

"Well, I hope you don't mind if I take you up on the offer."

Rin yawned and then giggled. "No, I don't mind. What's the problem?"

"She won't sleep."

"Have you fed her?"

"Yes."

"Bathed her?"

"Yes."

"Changed her?"

"Yes."  
"Hmmm..." she sounded thoughtful before sighing softly. "Perhaps she's missing her parents? This is the first time she's been away from them for so long."  
"Does that mean she won't sleep at all?" Sesshoumaru asked, shuddering as he heard a cry coming from the child's bedroom. "She's crying now.  
"Try and get her to stop crying," Rin suggested, sounding slightly preoccupied. "I'll come over and see if I can help you. See if there's something on the television to occupy her, she may fall asleep."

After the conversation ended, Sesshoumaru only had to wait a quarter of an hour before Rin arrived. As he let her in, he could tell that she had been about to go to bed when he had called her and apologised once again despite the fact that she didn't seem to mind. Her hair was tousled and was pulled back into a rough ponytail and she looked as though she had merely pulled on the first clothes she found as she wore dark jeans and an pale yellow button up shirt. Smirking to himself, he decided not to mention that she had done the buttons up wrong as she would probably not appreciate that humour behind that simple mistake at this time of night. She took the child from his arms and showered her with kisses causing Hanako to giggle and Sesshoumaru to feel very jealous of the child. Once in the living room, Rin sat the child against some pillows between her and Sesshoumaru, flipping through the channels to see if there was anything suitable for the child to watch and that would hold her attention. Eventually, she found a channel dedicated solely to babies and watched as soft music played and various scenes played across the screen. It soon became obvious that the channel was having more of an effect on her and Sesshoumaru than the child and Rin got to her feet to go and make some coffee to keep her awake. After making sure the child would not fall, Sesshoumaru came into the kitchen as Rin made coffee and sighed as he leaned against the counter.

"Are all babies like that?" he asked, looking at Rin with a weary expression.

"Not all of them," Rin said with a smile. "You should get some sleep, I'll watch her until she goes to sleep."  
"I disturbed you when you were about to sleep," Sesshoumaru countered, shaking his head. "You should get some sleep."  
Rin laughed. "You're so stubborn."

The pair returned to the living room moments later after failing to reach an agreement and were pleased to see that Hanako was finally beginning to tire. Rin smiled and picked up the sleepy child and put her to bed, hoping that she would sleep for the rest of the night. When she returned to the living room, she found that Sesshoumaru was asleep in his chair which didn't really surprise her since it was just after midnight. Continuing her motherly role, she took his empty coffee cup to the kitchen and returned with a light blanket from the pile she knew Kagome kept in the kitchen for some reason she couldn't understand. She covered Sesshoumaru with the blanket and sighed as she sat down in the seat she had vacated earlier. Looking over to the sleeping man beside her, Rin couldn't help but smile as she suspected that this was one of the rare times he let his expressionless mask drop. He looked so peaceful and every now and then, his expression would change as dreamt and Rin decided to ask him what he had dreamt about when she saw the tiniest of smiles grace his lips before disappearing. It had to be a good dream if Sesshoumaru was smiling.

* * *

A gentle warmth on the back of his neck woke Sesshoumaru up the next day and amber eyes blinked slowly as they registered his surroundings, remembering that he had spent the night at Inuyasha and Kagome's looking after his niece. He saw that he was in the living room and wondered why he hadn't gone up to the spare bedroom and couldn't for the life of him remember getting himself a blanket. He didn't even know where Kagome kept them. The reason why he had not gone up to the spare bedroom made itself known moments later when Rin moaned softly and stretched before curling up against the arm of the chair she was leaning against. Smirking to himself, Sesshoumaru pulled back his blanket and covered her with it before going into the kitchen to make coffee. A soft yawn coming from the kitchen doorway caught his attention as he poured himself a cup of coffee and he reached for another cup without looking up. Rin smiled sleepily and leaned against the door frame as she watched him.

"Are you always up this early?" Rin asked, gesturing to the clock showing 7am.

"I actually slept in today," Sesshoumaru replied as he turned to hand her one of the her head, rin led the way back to the living room and sighed as she sank down onto the sofa sofa where she had spent the night, smiling as she remembered the balnket she had found covering her when she woke up. Pulling it towards her, she covered her legs with it and watched as Sesshoumaru sat down on the other end of the sofa with a quiet sigh.  
"Thank you for the blanket," she said quietly before taking a sip of her coffee.  
"There wasn't another around when I woke up," Sesshoumaru replied with a shrug.  
"I forgot to bring another one with me after I put Hanako to bed. You were asleep by the time I got back, did you have a hard day?" Rin asked, frowning in concern as she looked at him.  
"It was no worse than usual."

Rin stood up after a while and decided to check on Hanako, leaving Sesshoumaru alone with his thoughts. The gap between the time he had seen Rin last and this time had been far to great, but he had only himself to blame when he had her number and knew her address and still found himself unable to pick up the phone and talk to her. This time, however, he was not going to wait until the next time Inuyasha and Kagome wanted him to babysit Hanako. He would not wait until they had parted company to wonder if he could work up the courage to phone her, Sesshoumaru was going to make sure that they made plans to meet again before they left this house. It would also have to be done before his brother and sister-in-law returned as there would be no peace once they got back and he would get no chance to speak to Rin.

The woman currently occupying his thoughts came through the door just a few minutes later with Hanako balanced on her hip. The child looked around sleepily before her amber eyes settled on her uncle and smiled that cute smile of hers as Rin handed her over to the stoic man. Leaving the pair alone, Rin went into the kitchen only to return moments later with a bottle for the child and handed it to Sesshoumaru who looked reluctant to be the one to feed the child, but when Rin made no offer to take on the task in his place, he sighed and fed the child sitting comfortably on his lap. Rin sat back and watched as the little girl snuggled into her uncle's arms when she had had her fill and remembered how it had felt when she had woken up in his arms the day of Yuri's funeral after falling asleep in front of the fire. A slight blush coloured her cheeks and she coughed discreetly, looking away to hide it but not noticing the smirk that appeared on the silver haired man's lips as he looked up in time to see the blush before she turned away. When she had regained her composure and pushed away lewd images of the man from her mind, she looked back to find him watching her intently, a smirk tugging his lips.

"Is there something wrong?" Rin asked, frowning slightly as she returned his gaze.  
"I was just thinking."  
"About what?"  
"The cause of that blush," Sesshoumaru said simply, looking her straight in the eye.  
"Uh..." she paused, not really knowing what to say.  
"There is something I wanted to ask you," he said, not waiting for her to finish her sentence.  
"Oh?"  
"Would you like to go out for dinner sometime?"  
"That was unexpected!" Rin exclaimed with a smile. "But yes, that would be nice."  
"Tonight?"  
"Sure."

Sesshoumaru nodded and turned back to the child on his lap, wondering how long it would take her parents to get home so he could get on with his day before seeing Rin again. Thinking about her, he looked across to where she sat and was surprised to see that she now sat beside him, playing with the child in his arms. She didn't seem to mind the fact that she was almost leaning against him as she played with the child and he was definitely not complaining about the way her breasts brushed against his arm every time she leaned forward. Sighing to himself, Sesshoumaru watched the two females play and couldn't help but wishing that the female in his arms was Rin, not his niece, and that the attention she was showering on the baby was being directed at him instead. Resisting the urge to wrinkle his nose, he mentally berated himself for being jealous of the child.

* * *

Several hours later, Sesshoumaru was standing outside Rin's door and feeling very much like a nervous teenager picking up his dream girl for the prom. Musing that the description wasn't too far off the mark in the sense that he was indeed picking her up to take her somewhere and that she was definitely his dream girl, he smirked before lifting a hand to knock on the door. The door opened shortly after he knocked and Rin looked out with a smile, beckoning him inside before closing the door. Amber eyes widened as they took in her appearance. Her strapless black dress was knee length and looked amazing on her. She giggled quietly and he realised that he must have been staring and quickly tore his eyes away to look at her face. Rin blushed prettily and pulled a shawl over her shoulders before following him out to the car.

"Where are we going?" she asked curiously, not recognising the area they were in.  
"That is a surprise."

Shortly after their brief conversation, they stopped in front of a pretty restaurant that Rin knew was favoured by the wealthy and gasped softly when she felt a hand on the small of her back guide her towards the door. The inside of the restaurant was even more impressive than the outside and she found herself staring in wonder as they were led to a private dining area. Rin looked at her companion as she sat down at the table and was surprised when he smirked at her. It had been a surprise for him to offer to take her to dinner, but she was definitely not going to refuse. If she was going to be totally honest with herself, she had been overjoyed when he had phoned her the night before asking her for help even if she had been tired. She had eventually come to terms with the idea that she had indeed fallen for Inuyasha's brother, but she hadn't been prepared to face the reality of just how hard she had fallen until she picked up the phone the night before. When he spoke, she realised that his deep, quiet voice sent shivers racing down her spine and remembering when their hands had touched briefly as she had handed the child to him when she had left the day before called back memories of accidentally falling asleep in his arms. The very idea of being able to fall asleep on a regular basis was very appealing, but she sighed to herself when she had finally come to terms with the fact that he would not see her in any way other than as Hanako's 'aunt,' but that wasn't going to stop her trying her hardest tonight to make him see her as a woman, not a part time babysitter.

While Rin was lost in her thoughts about how to make him notice her, the very man who occupied her thoughts was watching her with a smirk. It was obvious that she was struggling with something. Every now and then a look of happiness would pass over her face only to be replaced moments later by a slightly more subdued look. Sesshoumaru was fascinated by the expressions crossing her face and suddenly wondered what she was thinking to cause such a display of emotion. When she looked up with a smile after a few moments, there was determination in her eyes and he found himself wondering if he should be wary of her but decided against it.

"This place is amazing," Rin said happily, her smile growing as she looked around again.  
"It is one of my favourite places to eat," Sesshoumaru admitted and then smirking, deciding to test the waters. "You look amazing."

Predictably, a blush immediately coloured her cheeks and she stared at him as though her was a different person. Sesshoumaru did not often give compliments, in fact he never gave compliments to anyone about anything unless he had no choice in the matter, but tonight he was willing to be a little out of character if it meant seeing her again in the not too distant future. He watched in amusement as she seemed to be at a loss for words, her mouth opening and closing several times, but finding no words to reply. After finally regaining her composure, she flashed him a brilliant smile that left him slightly breathless.

"Thank you," she said calmly as if she had not been gaping like a fish only moments before. "You're not too bad yourself."  
Sesshoumaru raised an eyebrow. She recovered quickly. "Thank you."  
"So, what's the special occasion that you take me out to dinner?" Rin asked, a teasing glint in her eyes.  
"No reason really. I just wanted to."  
"I see."  
"I do have a question for you, though."  
"Oh?"  
"You are rarely on television anymore, why is that?"  
Rin laughed. "Ah, that. I quit my job a little while ago."  
"Why?" Sesshoumaru asked, completely puzzled by this revelation.  
"I thought about the way I was living and decided that it wasn't really all I had hoped for."  
"So what are you doing now?"  
"Nothing yet. I've not found a new job, it's proving to be harder than I thought," she admitted with a frown.  
"That is unfortunate."  
"Something will turn up eventually and I have enough patience to wait."

Sesshoumaru shook his head. It was amazing that she had given up the work she had seemed to enjoy so much. On the other hand, it wasn't at all good for him. Her having quit her job meant that she would no longer be on television which meant that if he wanted to see her, he would to have to work up the courage to phone her. Since he had failed spectacularly at that, he would have to ensure that they would meet again soon by the time they left the restaurant.

The evening passed quickly and Rin found that she was sad to be leaving his company. It had been an enjoyable evening, but she knew that after her door closed behind her that night, she wouldn't see him again until he happened to visit Kagome and Inuyasha when she was there. By the time they reached her house, her mood had dropped and was she reluctant to make the walk to her door even though Sesshoumaru was walking beside her. When they reached the door, she paused and looked up at the man beside her, not really sure what to say to him. She looked away, about to start looking for her keys but a squeak escaped her lips when she felt arms wrap around her and pull her forwards. Soft lips covered hers and her eyes widened in surprise before realising what was happening. Abandoning the search for her keys, Rin dropped her bag on the floor and wrapped her arms around his neck, eagerly responding to his kiss and was slightly disappointed when they parted for air. While she was cursing the body's need for air, Sesshoumaru looked down at her with a vague smile she didn't notice before pulling her close and nuzzling her neck gently.

"When will I see you again?" Rin asked, leaning back slightly to look up at him but unwilling to remove her arms from his shoulders.  
"Whenever you like," Sesshoumaru replied, looking down at her with a serious expression.  
"Good!" She gave him that dazzling smile again. "After a goodbye like that, I didn't really want to have to wait another few months for another one like that."  
Sesshoumaru smirked. "You want more?"  
"Of course!"

Her confusion over his question vanished in an instant as he took her lips again, deepening the kiss as he pulled tightly against him, not caring that they were standing on the street where anyone could see what was happening. A large hand crept up slowly from her hip and long, slender fingers brushed the underside of her breast gently causing her to gasp into the kiss. Moments later, Rin found herself trapped between Sesshoumaru and her door but couldn't complain even if she wanted to - which she didn't. His lips trailed down her neck slowly, leaving kisses in his wake until he reached her shoulder and paused before looking into her eyes.

"This isn't an appropriate place..." Sesshoumaru said softly.

Giggling to herself, Rin disentangled herself from his arms and bent down to pick up her bag. Sesshoumaru watched curiously over her shoulder as she briefly looked through her bag and pulled out her keys. After locking the door, she turned around to look at him with a smile, leaned up and pressed a chaste kiss against his lips before taking his hand and pulling him inside.


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter VII**

"You alright, Sesh?" Inuyasha asked curiously as he popped his head into his brother's office.

"Fine, why?" Sesshoumaru asked, looking up from the sheet of paper he had been blankly staring at for the past few minutes.

"You seem a bit off today."

"Off?"

"Distracted, I suppose," Inuyasha said with a shrug before grinning in a way that made Sesshoumaru become instantly wary. "Not to mention your shirt is hanging out, not buttoned properly and that suit looks suspiciously like the one you wore yesterday."

"Inuyasha, all my suits are black. How can you possibly know the difference between one I wore yesterday and the one I'm wearing today?"

"Easily."

"Care to enlighten me?"

"It's creased."

"I'm sorry?"

"You never have creases in your clothes and I can see quite a lot in that shirt you're wearing."

Sesshoumaru sighed softly and leaned back in his chair to look at his grinning brother. It was true that the suit he was wearing was the same one from the day before, but that was because he had not been back to his apartment since leaving it the day before yesterday. He had spent the previous night at Rin's and as he thought about it, he felt a smirk tugging his lips, but quickly decided that smirking would only rouse Inuyasha's suspicions.

"You were also a bit late coming in this morning," Inuyasha said, crossing his arms and tapping his chin thoughtfully before pointing a finger at his silent brother. "You are never late for work. You were with a woman last night!"

"And if I was?" Sesshoumaru asked calmly, smirking when Inuyasha's jaw dropped.

"I thought you were after Rin?!"

"Regardless of where I was and whose company I was in, Inuyasha," Sesshoumaru said firmly, looking at his brother seriously. "I don't believe any of that is any of your business. What would your wife think if she knew you were asking about what I did in my spare time?"

Inuyasha's jaw closed instantly when Kagome was mentioned. If he was honest, Kagome would probably be quite interested to find out more about where Sesshoumaru had been the night before and if it had been spent with Rin as she suspected, but Inuyasha knew better than to tell his brother that. Not only would Sesshoumaru inflict damage upon him, he had a suspicion that Kagome would do the same when he got home for revealing her curiosity in the pair's relationship. Shuddering at the thought, he turned his attention back when he realised that his brother was speaking again.

"Sorry, what?"

Sesshoumaru shook his head. "I asked if you had come here specifically to delve into my personal matters or if you had something else to tell me?"

"Ah, right. Kagome wants you to come round for dinner tonight," Inuyasha said with a nonchalant shrug but chose his next words carefully and waited for his brother's reaction. "Rin's coming as well. I think it's supposed to be a 'thank you' for looking after Hanako, but I've got two guys from my department coming over as well. I suspect Kagome's going to try and have a matchmaking session."

After pretending to grimace at the thought of what Kagome had in store for her best friend, Inuyasha began to congratulate himself on what he considered to be expert acting skills and waited patiently for his brother's reaction. There were a couple of minutes of silence between the two as Sesshoumaru looked at his brother carefully before nodding. The younger brother felt himself deflate slightly as he watched his brother quietly accept this fact. Whatever reaction he had been looking, it certainly wasn't this one.

"Inuyasha!" Sesshoumaru exclaimed impatiently.

"What?"

"Could you put aside your fantasies long enough to tell me what time I'm supposed to arrive?"

"I'm not fantasising about anything!" Inuyasha denied hotly and frowned when his brother raised an eyebrow at his vehement denial. "Seven."

Sesshoumaru shook his head as he watched his brother leave the office, muttering something to himself that was most likely some form of profanity. A frown creased his brow as he thought over what Inuyasha had said about Kagome attempting a 'matchmaking session' that evening. Things had only just started progressing with Rin and now Kagome was planning this? He and Rin had not discussed where they wanted their tryst from the day before to lead so he could not even begin to predict how Rin would react to Kagome's plans. Glancing at his watch, he noticed that it was nearly time to leave and then dialled a number, waiting patiently for an answer.

"Hello?" a feminine voice greeted although it betrayed her as being slightly preoccupied.

"Rin, it's Sesshoumaru."

"Oh! Hello!" she said cheerfully, all traces of her being preoccupied disappearing as she seemed to give him her full attention. "This is a first; you have never called me before."

"Hm, that it true. Are you busy?"

"Not really."

"You sounded preoccupied just now."

"Ah, I was doing a crossword," she giggled. "But I'm struggling with the last few clues."

"I see. There is something I need to tell you."

"Oh? Will you be coming here soon then?" she asked, not bothering to keep the hope from her voice.

"Indeed."

"Oh good! I'll start making coffee now then."

A smile crossed his face as she giggled before bidding him goodbye and presumably going to make coffee. He had discovered that she had a playful side to her that she didn't seem to show very often, but he was pleased that she had revealed it to him. Putting aside his thoughts, Sesshoumaru made his way to Rin's house to tell her about Kagome's plans for the night since he was sure that Inuyasha would not reveal something like that to her. However, when he arrived and Rin wrapped her arms around his neck, planting a kiss on his lips, he found himself unable to keep his hands to himself and it was only an hour later as he lay in her bed beside her that he finally remembered the reason for visiting her.

"Although I'm not complaining," Rin started, propping herself up on an elbow beside him. "Didn't you say you had something you wanted to tell me?"

"Indeed."

"Before you tell me though, there's something I wanted to do."

Sesshoumaru sat up and watched curiously as she slipped from the bed and pulled on a short bathrobe before picking up the clothes he had been wearing and disappearing out the door. Despite the fact that he was now left completely naked with no clothes to wear, Sesshoumaru couldn't help but admire her slim figure as she walked away. She returned moments later with a smile and sat beside him.

"Where did you go?" he asked curiously, propping himself up against the headboard and pulling her forward to sit between his legs.

"Just to put your clothes in the washing machine," Rin replied with a smile as she leaned back against his broad chest. "Inuyasha and Kagome might notice you're wearing the same clothes as yesterday since they're all creased. I was going to do it this morning, but I got a bit distracted."

Smirking at the memory of what had distracted her that morning; Sesshoumaru leaned forward and nuzzled her neck gently. Rin giggled and gave him a happy smile over her shoulder before turning sideways slightly to look him in the eyes.

"What was it you wanted to tell me?" she asked curiously, her fingers playing with a long strand of silver hair.

"It's about the dinner tonight," Sesshoumaru replied, watching her slender fingers loosely braid his hair with a smirk. "Kagome is apparently going to try to match you up with one of Inuyasha's colleagues."

"Is she?" Rin sounded unsurprised and undid the braid only to start again. "I thought she had learnt her lesson from the last time she tried that."

"You are not surprised?"

"Not really. She's always telling me I should find a man and have a family. All her attempts at matchmaking have been disasters so far, I wonder why she thinks she'll be successful this time?"

The pair sat in silence for a while as they pondered Rin's question and Kagome's actions. Rin sighed quietly as she felt a hand on her waist and leaned her head against Sesshoumaru's shoulder as she finally stopped playing with his hair. Now that she knew what to expect when she went to dinner that evening, she suddenly found herself a lot less inclined to put in an appearance.

"Do I have to go?" Rin asked, pouting slightly as she rolled onto her stomach and looked up at Sesshoumaru.

"You've already agreed to go, haven't you?"

"Unfortuantely."

Sesshoumaru couldn't help but smile at her reluctance as she lay against him, pouting cutely. He noticed then that her robe was loosely tied and was falling off one shoulder. Leaning forward slightly, he nuzzled her neck again and left a trail of kisses along her shoulder until she sat up with a giggle. Rin didn't seem to mind that her robe was slowly losing its battle with gravity and that it would soon fall off altogether, leaving her as bare as the man lying comfortably in her bed. Smiling mischievously, she leaned forward to kiss his lips before pulling away and standing up.

"If you start that now we'll be late for dinner," she admonished gently.

"Is that such a bad thing?" Sesshoumaru asked, watching as she turned away and closed her robe more securely.

"Well not really, but how would we explain it to Inuyasha and Kagome?"

"We could just not go at all," he suggested, sitting behind her and wrapping his arms around her waist as he gently kissed her neck.

Rin turned around with a smile, wrapping her arms around his neck as she stepped closer. She had been so sure that he hadn't wanted anything to do with her that the kiss he had given her on her doorstep the day before had been unexpected, but she counted help but be glad that she had responded the way she did. As she looked down at him, it was a bit hard to believe that the unclothed man currently trying to disrobe her was the same one Inuyasha had once described as being emotionless and that it was virtually impossible to hold a proper conversation with him. Allowing herself to be pulled down onto his lap, Rin tilted her head slightly as she looked up at him. It was strange that Inuyasha would say such a thing since she had absolutely no problems at all trying to get him to talk to her.

"Is there a reason why you're staring at me?" Sesshoumaru asked, pulling her from her thoughts.

"I was just wondering by I can hold your attention and have conversations with you, but your brother can't," Rin murmured, kissing the corner of his mouth gently.

"Inuyasha is not nearly as interesting as you, Rin," he replied, tightening his arms around her and returning her kiss. "There are times when my attention is so focused on you that I can't do anything else even if I wanted to."

"And what is it about me that holds your attention to such an extent?"

"I've not got enough time to show you, perhaps later."

Laughing merrily, Rin sat back on his knees and grinned at him. "I'll hold you to that promise."

* * *

"Are you sure this is a good idea?" Inuyasha asked again as he stood in the kitchen with his wife, looking into the dining room where their guests sat.

"Of course it is, dear," Kagome said airily as she started pulling things out of the oven. "He'll get jealous thinking that someone else might take her from him and then recognise his feelings for her. It's quite simple really."

"What if one of the other two decide they like her?"

"Not my problem. Sesshoumaru will have to deal with it."

"There are so many ways this could go wrong," Inuyasha said softly as he picked up a tray of food and followed his wife back to their guests.

Rin sat between Sesshoumaru and Kagome and two men she didn't know sat opposite her which made her feel slightly awkward. During a brief discussion on the way to the house, Sesshoumaru and Rin had decided that Rin would simply decline any of Kagome's suggestions although the idea of playing along with her idea had crossed Rin's mind only to be banished when Sesshoumaru dropped a last kiss on her neck before entering his brother's house. Even if it was to teach her friend a lesson about meddling in her life, Rin couldn't bring herself to let any man other than Sesshoumaru touch her. A shudder ran through her every time she thought about it and was glad that she had gone along with Sesshoumaru's plan and not her own.

"So Hiten," Kagome said casually, as she served food. "How did the divorce go?"

The shorter of Inuyasha's colleagues looked up from his food with a look of surprise on his face. He glanced across at Inuyasha who had stilled and was staring at his wife as though he had never seen her before. When Kagome had said that she was going to attempt matchmaking to make Sesshoumaru jealous, he had initially thought it was a good idea but as time wore on he was seeing an increasing number of ways this plan could backfire and if Kagome was going to be this blatant about it then it would be obvious to everyone what she was trying to do. Turning his gaze to Hiten, he shrugged slightly and shook his head as he turned his attention back to his food.

"Uh… there were no problems," Hiten said slowly, still surprised by the question.

"Oh that's good. Sesshoumaru got divorced a few months ago. It went pretty well for you too, didn't it?" Kagome asked sweetly and turned her attention to Sesshoumaru.

"Hm."

Kagome shook her head and sat down when she finished serving the food. Sesshoumaru cast a glance at his brother who looked slightly pale and was pushing his food around his plate in a way that clearly showed he had no appetite. It certainly seemed that Kagome was intent on her task and was completely oblivious to the fact that she was causing some discomfort. Or perhaps she was aware and carried on regardless?

"So you're single now, Hiten?" Kagome asked cheerfully, casting a glance at Rin as she spoke. "Rin's single too, you know. She used to present the news."

"Ah… I know," Hiten said quietly, nodding briefly in Rin's direction. "I recognised her."

"Maybe you two can go out sometime?"

"I'm not looking to jump into any relationships right now," Hiten interrupted hastily before Kagome could go any further with her idea.

"That's a shame. What about you, Bankotsu?"

"No can do," the other man shook his head and winked at Rin. "I'm taken."

"Really?" Kagome asked, looking up in surprise. "When did this happen?"

"About two months ago."

"Ah, good for you."

Eventually, Kagome seemed to give up on both men but had a faint frown on her brow for the remainder of the evening as she realised her plan had failed. Inuyasha, on the other hand, wore an expression of relief as the awkwardness passed. Rin sank down in her seat towards the end of the evening, sighing as she suddenly realised how weary she was. A thought struck her and she looked up, glancing around the room.

"Where's Hanako?" Rin asked, just realising that she hadn't seen the child at all that night.

"She was asleep last time I checked on her," Inuyasha said as he came back into the dining room with a bottle for the child. Grinning, he placed it in front of her. "You can have the honour of feeding her."

Shaking her head at her friend, Rin picked up the bottle as she got to her feet and headed for the stairs. The child was awake when she came into the room and smiled as Rin picked her up. Taking a seat in a chair nearby, Rin watched the child drink eagerly from the bottle and smiled to herself as she let her thoughts wonder. It was fairly obvious that Kagome was plotting something but she just didn't know what. She had felt a tremendous pity for the man Kagome had been pestering throughout dinner and was just glad that none of that attention ended up focused on her. Making a mental note to discuss Kagome's behaviour with Sesshoumaru at a later date, Rin picked up the child and headed back downstairs.

"She's awake, is she?" Kagome asked from the kitchen as she saw Rin and Hanako descending the stairs.

"She was very hungry," Rin said with a smile as she kissed the little girl's forehead gently.

"Wow, she looks nothing like you, Inuyasha!" Bankotsu exclaimed when he saw the little girl for the first time. "Well, the eyes definitely give away her connection to your family though."

"I had hoped she would have hair like her father's," Kagome murmured as Rin handed the child to her. "Maybe the next one will."

"Next one?" Rin asked in surprise. "Don't tell me you're pregnant already?!"

"Don't be silly," Kagome said with a giggle. "Maybe when this one's a bit older."

Sesshoumaru shook his head slightly as he saw a look of shock pass over his brother's face when he, like Rin, had assumed his wife was pregnant. Stepping towards Inuyasha, Sesshoumaru patted him on the back in an unusually friendly gesture.

"That is a relief to hear, isn't it?" Sesshoumaru asked quietly.

"It is."

"At least I won't have to remind you about the 'birds and the bees' then."

Inuyasha shuddered visibly and turned to stare incredulously at his brother who merely shrugged nonchalantly before replying to something Kagome had asked. Inuyasha couldn't believe what he had just heard. Was it truly possible that Sesshoumaru had made an attempt at teasing him? His brother smirked at him over his shoulder and Inuyasha couldn't help but shiver. The world might just end tonight.


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter VIII**

After Kagome's failed attempt at match making, Rin had kept clear of her friend for fear she would try again and Inuyasha had been ever so slightly smug when his wife's plan had failed and Sesshoumaru had not openly admitted his feelings for Rin. He had known from the very beginning that the plan would fail and he also had suspicions that his brother and his friend were already a couple, but he decided that he would keep that nugget of information to himself until the pair were ready to reveal it themselves. However, Rin and Sesshoumaru were content with keeping their trysts a secret for the time being. It soon became a habit for Sesshoumaru to visit Rin after work. Sometimes he would spend the night, other times they would go out and Rin wouldn't reappear at her home until late the next day, but if anyone noticed these goings on, they never commented on it. Sesshoumaru became so accustomed to having Rin in his life and more often than not in his bed, that he often wondered how he had managed to be content with simply seeing her occasionally on the television and once in a while when he happened to visit his brother when she was there as well. Those times seemed so far away and he was not eager to return to such times.

The simple and somewhat clandestine lifestyle came to an abrupt end in the middle of a cold winter's day while Sesshoumaru was slaving over a mountain of paperwork that had somehow appeared on his desk seemingly overnight. Thoughts of the night before flitted through his mind at regular intervals and plans for the night ahead often left a smug smile on his face as he tried very hard to focus on his work but failed miserably. He was midway through a particularly pleasing thought of what he would do when he next saw Rin when his door opened with a loud bang as it bounced off the wall. Glancing up with mild surprise, his amber eyes widened as he stared at the woman currently standing in the middle of his office regarding him with an intense gaze that made him feel slightly uncomfortable. Sesshoumaru knew exactly who the woman was, although the reason why she was standing in his office and looking around as though she owned the place eluded him.

"Kagura?" he asked in disbelief, putting his pen down and leaning back in his chair as though he couldn't quite believe his eyes.  
"It's been a while, hasn't it?" the woman replied with a grin.  
"Indeed. I was under the impression that you had left the country."  
"Oh, I did, but I decided that I liked it better here."  
"I see."  
"Life just isn't interesting when you're not around, you know," Kagura said huskily as she made her way over to his desk and sat on the edge.

Sesshoumaru was just wondering if he should take that as a compliment or if he should be wary of the woman when Kagura leaned forward and closed the distance between them. She paused briefly before pressing her lips against his and pulling him towards her as she wound her arms around his neck. For a moment, Sesshoumaru was paralysed with shock before he realised exactly what was happening and pushed Kagura away hastily. Rising to his feet, he fidgeted with his tie as he walked around the desk and made his way over to the door that still stood wide open and his secretary kept a carefully blank expression even though she had just seen what had happened. Sighing to himself, Sesshoumaru closed the door and almost grimaced at the unimpressed expression that briefly crossed his secretary's face before the door clicked shut. His secretary knew all about his relationship with Rin and seemed to wholeheartedly approve, but it was blatantly obvious that she did not approve of what was happening now.

"What do you want, Kagura?" Sesshoumaru asked bluntly, looking at the red eyed woman with a vacant expression.  
"You, of course. Why else would I be here?"  
"To torment me? To cause trouble? The possibilities are endless."  
"That's not a very nice thing to say. I know you want me too."  
"You are mistaken."  
"Oh?" Kagura queried, eyebrow rising as she spoke and a mischievous grin crossed her face. "Could it be that you have found someone to replace me?"  
"I don't believe that's any of your business."  
"I think it is my business. I want to know which little tramp has weaseled her way into your life."  
"Why should it concern you if there is another woman in my life?"  
"She should not be there, whoever she is."  
"Why not? You left didn't you?"  
"The role of leading lady in your life has already been taken and I will not relinquish that position to anyone!"  
"You have become somewhat deluded during your time abroad, Kagura," Sesshoumaru deadpanned as he sat down heavily. "You relinquished that role when you left."

There was silence between them as Kagura glared at the silver haired man with fury in her eyes. Technically, she knew that what he said was true. They had been an item ago when they had been married, but since Yuri's death and their divorce they had gone their separate ways. Kagura had gone abroad in search of a wealthy husband and Sesshoumaru had been left to his own devices. Her plans to find a wealthy husband had failed spectacularly and her back up plan was to go grovelling tot he very man she had divorced only a few months ago.

"You can't say that you don't still desire me as much as you used to?" Kagura said quietly, smirking slightly when she saw Sesshoumaru turn in his seat to look at her. "Do you not remember how much you used to enjoy running your hands over my body?"  
"What I enjoyed in the past is irrelevant now. You may parade around all you wish, but I will not make the same mistake twice."  
"What mistake?"  
"Falling for you."  
"Perhaps I can change your mind?"  
"Unlikely. If there was nothing else you require, please leave."

* * *

The next few days did not leave Sesshoumaru feeling as happy as he had initially hoped. He had been planning to spend all his free time with Rin, but Kagura's sudden appearance did not bode well for him and he decided to tread carefully in case Kagura should find out about his habit of visiting Rin. He had been loath to cancel any arangements he had made with Rin, but fortunately for him, she had been the one to cancel their arrangements. After calling him to excitedly inform him that she had been asked to attend an interview at a business situated fairly close to his own. He had been pleased to see that she was getting some response to all the applications she had sent off to various businesses, but he was also slightly disappointed that their plans had to be cancelled. After deciding to meet another time, Sesshoumaru had sighed to himself as he tried to find a way to keep Rin and Kagura as far away from each other as possible.

Unfortuantely for Sesshoumaru, the day Rin had cancelled their plans, she had decided to visit him after the interview as she knew he would be finishing work soon. Feeling very pleased with the way the interview had gone, she had arrived at Sesshoumaru's office building with an enormous smile on her face and was just about to head towards the main entrance when she saw a familiar figure step out of the doors. Lifting her hand, Rin was about to call out Sesshoumaru's name when she saw another figure step out of a nearby car and run towards the tall man. It was obvious that the second person was a woman, but Rin couldn't not think who she could be. Her hand fell back to her side and her eyes widened as Rin watched the woman come to a stop in front of Sesshoumaru, pause briefly before wrapping her arms around his neck and kissing him passionately. Although she had seen obvious dislike in Sesshoumaru's gaze when he had looked at the woman, he didn't seem to make any attempt to push the woman away and it was only when the woman stepped back with a grin that Rin recognised her. It was Kagura, Sesshoumaru's ex-wife. Feeling as though something had hit her hard in the chest, Rin turned around and fled the scene as she felt tears well up in her eyes.

She didn't know how she got there as she could only see the scene from Sesshoumaru's work place replaying itself over and over again in her mind's eye, but when Rin finally regained her senses, she found herself standing on Kagome's doorstep. Sighing to herself, she knew that she would have to explain the whole situation to her friend which was something she didn't really want to do at the moment, but speaking to Kagome would most likely be the best option. Lifting her hand, she knocked on the door twice and looked around her as she realised that the sun was sinking low in the sky. The door opened moments later and Kagome appeared with a bright smile on her face, but after taking one look at her friend, she pulled Rin into the house and wrapped her arms around her.

"What happened?" Kagome asked seriously as she led her friend into the sitting room.  
"A lot happened," Rin murmured tearfully.  
"Tell me who hurt you and I'll make sure that the bastard will never be able to procreate."  
Rin laughed. "That's very kind of you, but I don't think Inuyasha's father will be terribly pleased if you did that."  
"Inuyasha made you cry?!"  
"No, he didn't!"  
"Sesshoumaru did..." Kagome said quietly as realisation hit her and she stared at her friend in amazement. "I don't care what Inutaisho says. If his son hurt you, I will hurt him."  
"There's no need to resort to violence all the time," a masculine voice said with amusement.

The two women looked up and turned towards the sound of the voice. Rin smiled slightly as she saw Inuyasha standing in the doorway with his daughter in his arms. The little girl seemed to sense that someone was upset and looked around her curiously, frowning slightly as she looked from her mother to her aunt and back again.

"But Sesshoumaru hurt Rin!" Kagome exclaimed. "Does that not give me the right to inflict damage on him?"  
"Not really," Inuyasha said in a surprisingly calm voice. "Putting that aside though, what did my brother do? I suspect you will have to explain the situation to Kagome."  
"What situation?" Kagome demanded, looking between her friend and husband suspiciously. "What is going on that I don't know about?"  
Rin sighed. "I've been seeing Sesshoumaru in secret."  
"I knew you two would get together eventually!" Kagome exclaimed happily.  
"We kept it quiet because we didn't know where it was going, but I think I've just found that out."

Inuyasha and Kagome looked at each other seriously as they waited for their friend to elaborate on her vague statement. They desperately wanted it to be good news for her, but somehow, the chances of her next words being cheerful were becoming increasingly slim. The fresh streaks on her face caused by tears and her subdued behaviour were obvious signs that her news would not be good at all.

"It seems that I was merely someone to entertain him until someone better came along," Rin said quietly, refusing to let the tears that were building up in her eyes fall.  
"Don't say that!" Kagome interrupted.  
"Sesh may be a cold, heartless bastard sometimes, but that's too cruel even for him," Inuyasha added, surprising himself by defending his brother for the first time in a long time.  
"From what I understand," Rin continued as she ignored her friends' outbursts. "It seems that he was simply biding his time until Kagura came back from wherever it was she went."

Kagome frowned at the mention of the other woman but chose to remain silent and instead lifted her hands to rub her eyes as she tried to hide her growing confusion and ire. On the other hand, Inuyasha was clearly intending to be quite vocal about this news but managed to catch himself just before he let loose a long string of very colourful phrases in the presence of his daughter. Rin smiled to herself as she realised just how attentive her friend was to Hanako, but she looked away after a moment when looking at her friend reminded her painfully of his older brother.

"He's with Kagura now?" Inuyasha asked in a strained voice.  
"She seemed to be waiting for him outside the office," Rin murmured with a saddened expression.  
"I can't believe he'd do such a thing! He should know better than to do this. He shouldn't be anywhere near that witch!"  
"Perhaps this is a misunderstanding?" Kagome offered although she didn't sound as though she believed her own suggestion.  
"They kissed," Rin said quietly, her eyes filling with tears again.

No one said a word as that piece of information hung heavily in the air. Eventually, Inuyasha sighed and shook his head in despair and Kagome wrapped her arms around her friend as she wept quietly.

* * *

Sesshoumaru sighed as he stepped into his office the next morning. It had taken a long time to get rid of Kagura the day before and her habit of spontaneously kissing him was beginning to grate on his already frayed nerves. Her impulsive acts could cause a huge misunderstanding if the wrong person were to see them and he espcially didn't want Rin to be the one to see them. He knew that seeing something like that would upset her hugely and that was something he wanted to avoid at all costs. The petite woman had become very dear to him over the past few months and he was not going to let his ex-wife cause problems. Just as his mood lifted after thinking briefly about Rin, everything came crashing down around him as he found himself on the receiving end of a very venomous glare from his secretary. Unease built up within him as he stepped through the doors into the office that was his sanctuary from the world. He was about to drop down into his chair when his amber gaze fell on a small pile of neatly folded clothes that were sitting on his desk. Frowning, he walked back out through the doors and looked at his secretary in confusion.

"Why are there clothes on my desk?"  
"They are your clothes, sir," she replied expressionlessly.  
"I am aware of that, but why are they here?"  
"Miss Rin brought them by a short while ago."  
"Why?"  
"I believe she said something along the lines of there being no point in you having clothes at her home if she was no longer needed by you. She seemed to be terribly upset."  
"What is all that supposed to mean?" Sesshoumaru wondered aloud, talking more to himself than to his secretary.  
"May I say something, sir?" the secretary asked in a cold voice.  
"What is it, Rei?"  
"Perhaps Miss Rin saw you in the company of your previous wife? Considering Miss Kagura's behaviour, it would not be difficult for one to jump to conclusions."  
"That is true. What do you suggest I do?"  
"Explaining the situation to Miss Rin would be the most logical starting point, but whether or not she will agree to see you is questionable."

Nodding his thanks, Sesshoumaru walked back into his office and sat down heavily as he tried to think of a way to get Rin to meet with him. If she had come to his office this early in the morning just to drop off his clothes, it was a fairly obvious indication that she didn't want to see him, but he still needed to see her and explain the situation to her properly. Unfortunately for him though, she simply refused to answer her phone and when someone eventually did answer, it was put down the moment he spoke.

"All this trouble just for a woman?" a mocking female voice drawled from the doorway. "You never went to such lengths to correct a misunderstanding when we were married. Why is this woman getting special treatment?"  
"Because she's special in a way that you never were," Sesshoumaru replied coldly, putting the phone back in its cradle as he glared at Kagura.  
"I'm offended. Why did you marry me then?" Kagura asked with a smirk as she sauntered into the room and perched on the edge of his desk, giving him a suggestive wink as she did so. "Could it be that I pleased you where other women had failed?"  
"Hardly. It was a moment of stupidity on my part."  
"We were married for three years. That's a very long moment of stupidity."  
"Three years of stupidity then. Regardless of my reasons for marrying you, you are not wanted here. Do not interfere with my life as you will regret it."

Kagura smirked as she watched Sesshoumaru stride out of the room to talk to his secretary in the next room as he continued to try and attempt to arrange a meeting with Sesshoumaru. Her red eyes fell on a slip of paper sitting on his desk and she picked up and slipped it into her bag when she realised that it was this mysterious woman's phone number. With that little nugget of information, Kagura could find out the woman's address and make the situation a little bit more interesting, although she knew that she would have to ensure that Sesshoumaru never found out.

By the time Sesshoumaru returned to his office, he was pleased to see that Kagura was no longer there. Resuming his seat, he looked down at his phone and wondered if he should try to get in touch with Rin again, but each time he received no answer, he grew even more desperate to reach her. Amber eyes widened as he tore his gaze from the phone and hastily rose to his feet. There was a definite way of speaking to her and although he didn't really want to have to resort to this, he now realised that he no longer had a choice. It was possible that she wasn't even at home, but if she wasn't, then the only other place she could be would be his brother's home since Kagome was always there. After a brief excuse about his abrupt departure to his secretary, Sesshoumaru was on his way out the building and on his way towards Rin's home, hoping that she would at least listen to his explanation.

**AN****:** Sorry for not updating this sooner. I've been ill for the past week so I had to put off updating the story. Anyhow, I hope the content of this chapter and the way the rest of the story will go isn't too predictable. I had initially forgotten that Kagura was in the story at the begining and it was going to take a completely different turn to the way it's now going, but I had to change my ideas when I reread the story :P I hope you enjoy this! The next chapter should be up in the next couple of days hopefully. Let me know what you think :)

xMxAx


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter IX**

The visit Sesshoumaru had paid to Rin's home had not produced any results much to his disappointment. He had been so sure that he would find her at home that it came as a slightly surprise when a neighbour had politely informed him that she was left the house early that morning and had yet to return. Frowning, he sat in his car for a while as he tried to think of any other place she could be aside from his brother's home. It was the most obvious place to find her, but he decided that he also had to consider the fact that there were probably other places she went to that he didn't know about. Eventually, he gave up his fruitless train of though and decided that it would be best to talk to his brother. Even if Rin was not there, Kagome and Inuyasha would probably know where he could find her.

Sesshoumaru experienced a moment of uncertainty as he stood on his brother's doorstep and briefly wondered if consulting with Rin's best friends was really the right way to go about explaining the situation, but when he could come up with no alternatives, he took a deep breath and knocked on the door. The door opened a short while later and the smile on Kagome's face fell as soon as she recognised him. Frowning slightly, she reluctantly stepped aside to allow him into the house before leading the way to the living room. A wave of disappointment rushed over him for the second time that day as Sesshoumaru realised that Rin was not sitting in her usual seat in Kagome's living room, but the sofa was occupied instead by Inuyasha who was fast asleep. The sleeping man woke with a start when Kagome closed the living room door with a loud click and looked around him sleepily before he too frowned when his gaze fell on his brother.

"What do you want, Sesh?" Inuyasha asked in an irritable voice as he sat up and ran his fingers through his slightly tousled hair.

"Actually, I was looking for Rin," Sesshoumaru replied, sitting down heavily in a nearby chair.

"Well she's obviously not here. I think you've done enough anyway, just leave her alone."

"I can't believe you!" Kagome exclaimed angrily as she slapped Sesshoumaru's shoulder and glared at him ferociously. "How could you do that? And to Rin of all people. I thought you cared about her!"

"I do care about her. I would be here if I didn't," Sesshoumaru muttered irritably. "Would you care to enlighten me on what it is that I'm supposed to have done?"

"Don't be stupid, Sesh," Inuyasha replied, leaning back in his seat and crossing his arms. "I think Rin has every right to tell you where to go if you leave her bed one morning and decide to kiss your ex-wife the next."

"What?"

"Rin saw you kissing Kagura!" Kagome interrupted.

"It's just as Rei said…" Sesshoumaru murmured, sighing in frustration as he wondered what he was supposed to do to fix the situation.

"What did Rei say?" Inuyasha asked curiously.

"She said that Kagura's behaviour would cause a misunderstanding."

"You're saying that this is a misunderstanding?"  
"Of course it is! Do you really think I'd ever want to rekindle any kind of relationship with Kagura?"

"Then why did you kiss her?" Kagome asked in a voice that was almost pained. "If you care for Rin as much as you say then you wouldn't have done it."  
"It's Kagura's impulsive behaviour. She seems to think that she can simply reappear in my life and I will be on my knees begging her to come back."

"Tell her it's over," Inuyasha suggested.

"Do you think I would not have tried that?"

"It didn't work then?"  
"No, she's convinced herself that I will give in eventually if she continues to annoy me with her presence."

"What will you do then?"

"What can I do? Rin won't talk to me and as long as Kagura is here, I doubt anything I say will convince her that what I'm saying is the truth."

"You have to try though."

"I don't even know where Rin is."

Kagome looked over at her husband who nodded slowly, indicating that he agreed with whatever it was she was thinking and got to his feet. Sesshoumaru watched with mild confusion as his brother walked out of the room and went up the stairs while Kagome simply sat still in her chair, looking at him thoughtfully.

"Now look here," Kagome said eventually, in a sharp tone that Sesshoumaru had never heard her use before. "You are my brother-in-law and Rin is my best friend, but I've known Rin longer than I've known you so I'm going to put her needs first."

"Alright…" Sesshoumaru said slowly, not entirely sure where the conversation was heading.

"I'm going to believe you when you say that this is all a misunderstanding, but I will not tolerate anyone hurting Rin even if it's you. If Rin ever appears on my doorstep in tears again, I will not forgive you and just as I said to Rin, I will make sure that you are never able to reproduce. Do I make myself clear?"

"Perfectly."

"Good. I hope you can fix this problem because you both deserve happiness."

Without another word, Kagome got to her feet and left the room leaving a bemused Sesshoumaru in her wake. It was only when he heard the front door click shut and a car leave that he realised that he had been left alone in his brother's home without being told anything he had wanted to know. Frowning, he leaned forward and rested his elbows on his knees as he buried his face in his hands. It was truly becoming difficult to find the elusive woman who had become so important to him. He had not realised how empty his life was until he no longer saw her smile at the end of the day and was no longer on the receiving end of her gentle kisses. Images of the times they had spent together flashed through his mind and each one made him wish she were beside him all the more.

Unbeknownst to him, Rin had indeed been in the house and had come downstairs when she heard her friends leaving the house without telling her where they were going. She had frowned when she realised that they had taken Hanako with them and she couldn't understand why they hadn't said anything to her. Sighing to herself, she supposed it would be a goo opportunity to spend some time alone and evaluate the situation she had suddenly found herself in. Rin was just remembering how comforting it had felt to have Sesshoumaru's strong arms wrapped around her when she pushed open the living room door and found the very man she was thinking of sitting in one of the chairs with a very dejected aura surrounding him. After staring at him for a moment, she cleared her throat and was mildly amused by the way his head shot up and how he stared at her as though not quite believing his eyes.

"Rin…"

"What are you doing here?" she asked, not bothering with pleasantries.

"I was here to see you, but I thought you weren't here."

"Well I am here. What do you want?"

"I wanted to clear up this misunderstanding."

"I saw you kissing Kagura. That's not really much of a misunderstanding is it?" Rin shook her head slightly and looked away. "I cancel our plans for the afternoon once and you go back to you ex-wife. The situation is really quite simple."

"She kissed me. Do you honestly think that I would want anything more to do with her?"

"The fact that she kissed you makes if better, does it? From where I was standing, you didn't really put up much of a fight when she kissed you."

"No, it doesn't make the situation any better. I've been trying to contact you all day."

"I know you have, but I didn't particularly feel like talking to you."

"You're talking to me now."

"I had little choice this time. Believe me, if I had known you were here, I would have left a long time ago."  
"Will you at least listen to what I have to say?"

"Fine, I'll listen but it doesn't mean that I'll believe what you say."

"I didn't go back to Kagura because you cancelled our plans. She went abroad shortly after out divorce and it seems that she failed to find a man wealthy enough and has decided to return. I don't want anything to do with her, but she won't leave me alone."

"Why should I believe you? How do I know that you're not lying to me?"

There was a moment of silence between them as Sesshoumaru tried to think of a way to answer her question. There was nothing he could think of that would help the situation. If he was in her position then he probably wouldn't believe the story he had just told either, but he was still desperate for her to understand. Rin frowned and crossed her arms as she waited for the answer. She wanted to believe what he said, but she didn't want to find herself getting hurt for being too naïve and believing a stupid story. In fact, if she was going to be totally honest with herself, she wanted nothing more than to wrap her arms around him and just let him hold her close the way he used to do, but her feet felt as though they were rooted to the ground and she doubted she could move towards him even if she wanted to. A sudden movement pulled her from her thoughts and when she looked up, her eyes widened in surprise when she found Sesshoumaru standing right in front of her. Before she could question him, her lips were claimed in a possessive and passionate kiss that sent her mind reeling at the intensity behind it.

"I don't know how to prove that I am not lying, but I know for certain that I don't want to lose you because of Kagura's stupid behaviour," Sesshoumaru murmured as he wrapped his arms around her and held her close.

"I don't want to lose what we had either," Rin said quietly and pushed herself away from him reluctantly. "But I don't want to be hurt. If this is truly a misunderstanding and you don't want Kagura in your life anymore, then get rid of her. Once you've done that, then you can come and find me but not before that."

"How am I supposed to do that? She's not the type to just go away because I tell her to."

Rin shrugged. "That's not my problem."

* * *

It had been two days since Rin had seen Sesshoumaru and although she felt bad for giving him such a difficult task, she knew that she could not be comfortable in his presence if the constant possibility of Kagura reappearing was hanging over her head. She did not want to have to fight another woman for this man and by giving him this task, Rin convinced herself that she was giving him the choice to return to his ex-wife or to choose her, although she prayed that he would choose her.

While Rin was wondering if she had made the right decision by saying such a thing to Sesshoumaru, the man himself was wandering through a party that he had been invited to by the head of a company he had worked with previously. He detested parties, but knew that he had to put in appearance regardless of whether he wanted to be there or not. As he moved about the room, his mind was not on the conversations he was involved in, but rather on how he was supposed to get Kagura out of his life so he could focus on building a life with Rin. He had yet to come up with any decent ideas and he sighed inwardly as he reached for another glass of champagne from a passing waiter's tray.

So lost in his thoughts was he that he didn't realise the very cause of his problems was lurking in the shadows at the back of the room and watching him intently. Kagura smiled to herself as she watched the silver haired man reach for yet another drink and then another after that was finished. She may not have been the ideal wife or the ideal mother, but she prided herself for her observational skills and she knew from experience that Sesshoumaru only ever drank large amounts of alcohol when he was in a social situation he did not want to be in. As she watched him finish another glass of champagne, she smirked knowing that her plan was going to be easier to put into action than she had initially thought. The evening was drawing to a close and only a few people still remained in the room and Sesshoumaru was leaning against the back wall of the room, looking around him in a way that clearly suggested that he was more than a little tipsy. Nodding to two men near the door, Kagura followed slowly as the two men pulled the drunken man out the door and towards a car under the pretence of making sure he got home safely. In fact, she was doing him a favour by making sure he got home safely, but it was a shame he would probably not remember this.

The car disappeared into the night and flew through the dimly lit streets and Kagura looked at the barely conscious man beside her, smirking when she realised that she had never seen him so inebriated before. Eventually, the car came to a stop in front of Sesshoumaru's apartment building and Kagura once again followed the trio of men up to the correct apartment, all the while thinking that she was lucky that Sesshoumaru was preoccupied this evening and had not thought to count how many drinks he had had as it was definitely going to make her plan run smoothly. Her two male companions dropped Sesshoumaru unceremoniously on the bed and left the apartment without a word, leaving Kagura to stare at the man who was now fast asleep on his bed. Shaking her head, she pulled off his shoes and jacket, discarding them haphazardly on the floor before doing the same with his tie and unbuttoning his shirt. After tugging at the blankets for a while, she finally managed to get them to come free and carefully arranged them to look as though they had been kicked off at some point during the night although she knew that he would probably move around in his sleep and make it seem more realistic. As an afterthought, she unbuckled his belt and stepped away with a smirk on her face as she made her way towards the door. Just before leaving the room, she pulled a red bra out of her bag and dropped it carelessly on the floor before heading towards the exit.

* * *

When Sesshoumaru awoke the next morning, he felt the familiar symptoms of a hangover and groaned quietly as he rolled onto his back slowly. Hesitantly, he opened his eyes and realised that he was in his own bed. Sighing, he wondered why it was that he had clearly had too much to drink and yet he had still somehow managed to come home. It didn't make much sense to him, but he pushed away the thoughts as he decided that he needed something to ease his headache before he tried to remember what happened the night before. With great effort, he got to his feet and was just about to take a step forward when his eyes fell to the floor and widened at what he saw. His shoes lay on the floor beside his jacket and looked as though he had simply kicked them off when he came in, but what floored him was the sight of a bright red bra sitting beside that jacket. Frowning, he closed his eyes tightly and tried very hard to remember what happened the night before but was met with only hazy memories that did not help to explain why that item of clothing was on his floor. Sighing, he walked past the bra and locked the bathroom door behind him as though it would erase what he had just seen. He was not the type to sleep with random women and with that in mind, there was only one women he had ever slept with who wore bright red underwear and the very thought of that woman made his blood run cold as he considered the implications of what had happened. What could have made him decide that sleeping with Kagura was a good idea?

Hours later, he walked into his office and ignored the glare that his secretary sent his way once again. It was becoming a routine and he didn't like it. He and his secretary had always been on good terms and the older woman always used to find any opportunity to fawn over him and was often accused by other secretaries for treating him more like her own son than her employer, but even though that was true, he didn't mind the older woman's attentions. She had always been there to advise him when he thought he was at a dead end and more often than not, her suggestions were the correct course of action. As a result, he put a great amount of faith in her advice and it irked him to be on the receiving end of her glares. Sighing to himself, he dropped a plastic bag containing the awful item of clothing he had found on his bedroom floor that morning on Mika's desk.

"Send that back to Kagura please," he said quietly as he walked into his office.

Mika looked down at the bag and opened it, frowning ferociously when she saw what was inside. Part of her was tempted to go after her employer and give him a piece of her mind, but she knew that it wouldn't do anyone any good. Sighing to herself, she leaned back in her chair and stared at the clothing in the bag as she wondered just what her employer was doing. He had very nearly fallen apart after Yuri had died and Mika knew that Rin was the one who was responsible for his recovery. She also knew that Rin was definitely the type of person Sesshoumaru needed in his life, but as she stared at what he had just given her, she was truly beginning to wonder if their relationship hadn't been that solid to begin with. Leaning forward in her seat, Mika reached for the bag and was about to bundle it up when a tag caught her eye. Frowning, she reached into the bag and realised that the tag on the bra indicated that it had been recently purchased and she doubted that a woman life Kagura would be so careless as to leave the tags on her clothing, especially such a large tag. Upon closer inspection, Mika realised that the bra was too big for Kagura since she had been in this same situation several times before Sesshoumaru had married her and had learnt to recognise which items of clothing belonged to Kagura. It was obvious that it was intended to look like something from Kagura's wardrobe, but Mika knew better.

"Sir, might I speak to you?" Mika asked, looking through the door to her employer's office.

"What is it?" Sesshoumaru looked up with a frown and beckoned her in.

"I think that there is something I need to bring to your attention."

"Oh? What is it that is so important?"

Mika lifted up the bag and dropped it on his desk, eyebrows rising when Sesshoumaru frowned at it as though willing it to disappear.

"I may be out of line asking, but what do you intend to do about your current situation?" Mika asked seriously.

"I'm sorry?" Sesshoumaru queried in surprise as he leaned back in his chair.

"You heard her, Sesh," Inuyasha's voice drifted over to the pair.

Both employer and employee turned in surprise when they heard Inuyasha's voice. The man himself was leaning against the doorway, his arms crossed over his chest and a curious expression on his face. Sighing quietly, Inuyasha pushed himself upright and walked into the room, closing the door firmly behind him.

"Which one will you choose?" Inuyasha asked. "Will it be Rin? Or will it be Kagura?"

"You both already know that I've made my choice. There was never any question. It was always going to be Rin," Sesshoumaru replied with a sigh.

"Then why is it that Mika is sending Kagura's underwear back to her? I don't think you've thought about this. Do you honestly think that Rin will take you back knowing that you've slept with Kagura?"

"It was a drunken mistake. Truthfully I don't even remember going home last night let alone sleeping with anyone."

"I think that maybe I can shed some light on that," Mika said hesitantly.

"Oh?" Sesshoumaru looked at his secretary with a curious expression. "How will you do that?"

Both brothers watched as the older woman picked up the bag and reached into it and pulled out the offending article of clothing. Inuyasha wrinkled his nose at the sight of it while Sesshoumaru struggled to resist the urge to tear it to shreds.

"This is intended to look like part of Kagura's wardrobe, but it has never been worn," Mika said simply.

"How can you know that?" Inuyasha asked looking perplexed.

"Simply because the tags are still on it and I doubt a woman like Kagura would forget to take them off."

"I see, but why would she leave such a thing in my house?" Sesshoumaru wondered aloud.

"Perhaps she's trying to trick you into believing that something happened when nothing did?"

"Mika's right, Sesh. She's probably plotting something devious."

"I cannot prove that this is a trick. What am I supposed to do now? Rin won't agree to see me until Kagura is out of my life and by the looks of it, she's here to stay."

"Rin's at home now. Go see her and explain what's happened. She's more understanding than you think, Sesh."


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter X**

For once taking his brother's advice, Sesshoumaru left his office after the discussion with Mika and Inuyasha and made a beeline for Rin's home. However, when he got there, he found himself hesitating on her doorstep, wondering if this was truly the right course of action, but he eventually summoned up enough courage to knock on her door. He could hear footsteps coming closer and sent a quick prayer to whichever deity was listening, praying that Rin would listen and understand. The door opened and Rin stood on the other side smiling happily, but when she saw him, her smile faded and was replaced by a look of uncertainty. A brief look of hope passed through her eyes before she looked away.

"Is there something that you wanted?" she asked quietly, avoiding his gaze and focusing on his shoes instead.

"There's something we need to discuss," Sesshoumaru said seriously, deciding that it was better not to beat about the bush.

Rin sighed. "You had better come inside then."

It had been the first time in a week that Sesshoumaru had been inside Rin's home and it felt slightly strange that he was not being welcomed with her usual exuberance. Silently, he followed her to the living room and patiently waited for her to return with a cup of coffee for him. As she placed it in front of him, he resisted the urge to smirk. Even if she wasn't on the best terms with the person visiting her, she was still the perfect hostess. Rin sat down heavily in her favourite chair and curled her feet under her before looking at Sesshoumaru intently.

"What is it that you wanted to discuss?"

"I have reason to believe that Kagura is trying to trick me in some way although I'm not sure what her goal is."

"I thought that was pretty obvious?" Rin asked, raising an eyebrow and then sighed softly before giving him a vague smile. "You are so slow sometimes."

"Kagura tried to trick me into believing we slept together last night because I drank too much," Sesshoumaru admitted sheepishly.

"Is that so? I take it from your tone of voice that you did not sleep together?"

"Of course not. I did think, however, that it would be best if I told you in case she spread rumours about it and you got the wrong impression. I'm sorry, I know you told me not to see you if she wasn't out of my life."

"It doesn't matter," Rin said with a shrug. "Those words were perhaps a bit harsh. I regret them now and I'm glad you did come to tell me this. What will you do now?"

"I don't know. I can't prove that she's tricking me."

Rin watched Sesshoumaru rub his forehead and sigh softly and felt a wave of pity rush over her. She looked down at the coffee cup in her hands and realised that she was being difficult when she should be supporting him. Gathering her courage, she put her cup aside and got to her feet. Sesshoumaru looked up when he heard her get to her feet and watched her approach him, his eyes widening when she sat down beside him and wrapped her arms around his shoulders just as she had done the first time he had come to her home after Yuri's funeral.

"I'm sorry," Rin murmured, burying her face in his shoulder. "I do believe you what you say, but I'm afraid of getting hurt. I'll support you from now on."

Sighing softly, Sesshoumaru smiled inwardly and wrapped his arms around her, holding her tightly. It had been so long since he had been able to hold her like he was and he didn't want the moment to end, but much to his disappointment, Rin sat back after a moment and smiled at him. Reluctant to let go of her in case it was another week until he could hold her again, Sesshoumaru slipped an arm around her waist and pulled her into his side, smirking when she leaned her head against his shoulder.

"I don't blame you for being cautious, I'm sure I would do the same if I was in your situation," Sesshoumaru murmured, pulling her closer as he spoke.

"I'm sorry for being difficult. I will help you with whatever you need," Rin declared fiercely, determination shining in her eyes as she looked up at him.

Sesshoumaru looked at her with amusement in his eyes before leaning down to capture her lips and was surprised when she responded eagerly by wrapping her arms around his neck. Deepening the kiss, he smirked when she manoeuvred herself onto his lap and straddled him. Pulling away from her for a moment, Sesshoumaru smirked at her and pressed a single kiss against her lips before rising to his feet, scooping Rin up into his arms as he went. She had said she would help with whatever he needed and at the moment, he had a very pressing need that only she could assuage.

* * *

Life more or less went back to normal after Sesshoumaru had spent the night at Rin's home and he breathed a sigh of relief when he realised that one of his problems was now solved. He had been truly quite terrified that Rin would not take him back even if he had managed to find a way to get Kagura out of his life, but he was glad that she returned to her normal self. Days turned to weeks and Sesshoumaru was glad that he could work without Kagura's interruptions since she seemed to have disappeared. She didn't come up to his office and she didn't even wait outside the office building for him as she had done before, but he was really quite relieved. However, the brief peace he had was shattered one day when Kagura appeared in his office for the first time in nearly two weeks.

"What do you want, Kagura?" Sesshoumaru asked impatiently, not looking up from his work when the bothersome woman walked into his office.

"Is that any way to speak to the last woman you slept with?" Kagura asked with a slight frown as she stepped through the open door and sat herself down in one of the chairs.

"The last woman I slept with?" Sesshoumaru asked, looking up with amusement in his eyes. "You look nothing like her and I don't believe it's any of your business who shares my bed."

"You clearly don't remember our night together. Putting that aside though, there's something I think you should know."

"Oh? What is it?"

"I think I might be pregnant."

Sesshoumaru leaned back in his chair and resisted the urge to smirk at the woman sitting in front of him who looked so serious. She clearly thought her little trick had had the desired effect and the slight confusion in her eyes that showed that she did not understand why he didn't seem moved by her news. He was about to reply when his door flew open and Rin came into the room with an enormous grin on her face. Slightly taken aback by her sudden appearance, Sesshoumaru stared at her for a moment, not entirely sure what the cause of her happiness was and why she had suddenly decided to visit him. Kagura recovered form her shock quicker and glared at the other woman ferociously as she watched Rin walk over to Sesshoumaru and kiss his cheek affectionately.

"Rin…" Sesshoumaru started, trying to make sense of her sudden arrival.  
"I'm sorry," Rin apologised quickly, nodding to Kagura briefly before turning her attention back to Sesshoumaru. "I know we weren't going to meet until tonight, but I've got news!"

"It can hardly be more important than what I've just told you!" Kagura exclaimed in frustration when she realised that Sesshoumaru's attention was entirely focused on the petite woman beside him.

"Do enlighten me, Rin. What news do you have?"

Although he was still slightly confused by Rin's sudden appearance in his office, but he almost smiled at how excited she seemed to be. Rin's smile grew and she took his hands in hers, pulling him to his feet so she could wrap her arms around his neck. Kagura glared at the petite woman and fumed about her sudden appearance ruining her plan.

"We've been trying so hard, but we've finally got a result," Rin said with a smile, pulling away from Sesshoumaru and taking one of his hands in her own.

"A result?" he asked, completely baffled by her words.

"I think I'm finally pregnant!" she said happily, placing his hand on her stomach and grinning at him.

Sesshoumaru stared at the tiny woman in front of him in surprise. His gaze dropped to his hand, which sat on her stomach and then rose to her face, searching for some clue as to what she was doing. Rin saw his confusion and winked at him, knowing that Kagura would not see the movement. Still not entirely understanding the situation, he nodded slowly as he realised that she was not being serious about what she had just said.

"Are you certain?" he asked, looking at her seriously. "I hope you're right."

Kagura gaped at the pair as she watched Sesshoumaru wrap his arms around Rin and nuzzle her neck affectionately. Rin giggled and kissed his cheek gently before he pulled away from her and pushed her down into the chair he had vacated moments before. A frown creased Kagura's brow and she slammed her hands down on Sesshoumaru's desk in an open display of her anger.

"Now hold on!" she exclaimed loudly. "I just told you that I thought I was pregnant and I didn't get that reaction!"

"Oh, I'm sorry, Kagura," Sesshoumaru said, turning to look at her as though he had just remembered her presence. "Yes, this could be a problem. I think there is only one solution."

The two women watched his get to his feet and leave the office for a few minutes, returning moments later to usher them out the office and down to the car park when all three of them climbed into one car just before it sped away. Rin was about to question Sesshoumaru's actions when she saw a doctor's surgery coming into view and immediately understood what he was planning to do. When they arrived, the tall man ushered both women towards the doctor who was waiting near the entrance with a smile. He nodded a greeting to the trio and led them to his office where he waited hear what was required of him.

"We require two pregnancy tests," Sesshoumaru said simply.

"Very well, sir," the doctor replied, confusion on his face as he looked from one woman to the other and then back to Sesshoumaru.

Rin sat quietly beside Sesshoumaru as they waited for the results of the test, but Kagura began to look increasingly nervous and her eyes kept glancing over to the exit as though she thought she could make a quick escape before Sesshoumaru discovered that she was lying. However, she missed her chance as the doctor reappeared and smile uneasily at the trio. Rin almost smiled, she knew that Kagura was lying and she was sure that Sesshoumaru knew this as well, but she hoped that the doctor would not read her results before Kagura's as her own little trick may be revealed.

"I'm afraid I have some bad news," the doctor said slowly and looked directly at Kagura, much to Rin's relief. "It seems that you are not pregnant."

There was silence in the room as all eyes turned to Kagura as she tried to think of the best way to act in such a situation. The doctor coughed and looked back down at the papers on his desk as he waited for the tension in the room to ease, but Sesshoumaru's eyes were cold as he looked at his ex-wife with a frown.

"It seems that you are not pregnant and nor would ever have been," he stated expressionlessly.

"What is that supposed to mean?" Kagura demanded. "Just that one night would have been enough for me to fall pregnant. It's not like we considered contraception!"

Sesshoumaru smirked. "You're still clinging to your story? I already know the truth. We did not sleep together."

"We did!"

"No, you tried to trick me into thinking we did."

The doctor's eyes rose to stare at the woman in surprise when he heard Sesshoumaru's accusation and Rin shifted slightly in her seat, feeling slightly awkward about a potential dispute over a one-night stand that never happened. Kagura tried and failed several times to come up with a response to the accusation but eventually gave up and glared at Sesshoumaru who merely sighed quietly.

"Since we have already proven you to be a liar, there is no reason for you to still be here. I suggest you leave and if you ever come near me again, I will take legal action against you."

The quiet muttering of colourful curses were the only sound in the room before the door slammed shut as Kagura made a hasty departure. The remaining trio sat in silence for a moment until they were sure that she had left the premises. Rin sighed in relief now that the whole situation was resolved and stood up beside Sesshoumaru when he started towards the door after thanking the doctor for his help.

"Just a moment!" The doctor called as the pair were about to leave the room and looked pointedly at Rin. "I believe I have yet to give you your results, miss."

"Oh don't worry about it," Rin said with a smile. "It was just a story to get the other woman to take a pregnancy test."

"I think it would be best if I told you the results," the man persisted.

"Get it over with then," Sesshoumaru muttered irritably, eager to be out of the surgery so he could put the whole situation behind him.

"Well, as you heard, the other woman was not pregnant," the doctor paused briefly, wondering if he was making the right choice. "But, you are."

The world seemed to stop when the man uttered those words and both Rin and Sesshoumaru turned to stare at him in surprise. The doctor smiled and then ushered them out of his office. Instead of returning to the office as he had initially planned, Sesshoumaru instead decided that going to his apartment would be better as it was obvious that there were certain things that needed to be discussed. He glanced at Rin out of the corner of his eye since she had not spoken at all since they had left the surgery and he noticed that she seemed quite pale. When they were finally alone in his apartment, Sesshoumaru wrapped his arms around her. In response, Rin buried her face in his chest and clutched his shirt as though it was a lifeline.

"I'm sorry," she said quietly in a tearful voice.

"You have nothing to be sorry for," Sesshoumaru murmured, guiding her towards the sofa where he sat down and pulled her onto his lap. "This is a surprise, but that doesn't necessarily mean it's a bad thing."

"But this wasn't planned. We're not even an official couple," Rin replied, leaning away and wiping her eyes.

"Do you want to be?"

"Of course, I do."

"That's one problem solved, isn't it?" Sesshoumaru asked, kissing her temple gently as she leaned against him.

"There's still an even bigger one to deal with."

"Do you want a child?"

"Yes, but I had planned to have a job and be married before having one."

The pair sat in silence for a moment as they tried to decide the best course of action. Rin glanced at Sesshoumaru and marvelled at how well he was taking this news. She had truly expected him to be upset or at least a little angry, but he was handling it a lot better than she was. It was a coincidence that she had come to his office when Kagura was there, but when she had overheard the conversation, she decided to play a trick on the woman and her trick had worked, although she now felt a bit confused about what to do. Sighing softly, she snuggled closer to Sesshoumaru and wondered what to do. She was pulled from her thoughts when she felt a large hand running down the length of her back and she realised that Sesshoumaru was trying to comfort her in his own way. Smiling slightly, she kissed his cheek and sat up.

"What do we do?" she asked, looking at him seriously.

"You don't need a job, I'll look after you," Sesshoumaru said quietly, nuzzling her neck. "Marriage comes later though."

"You're serious?"

"Perfectly serious."

"You're happy about this?"

"Very. The woman I love is carrying my child, why would I not be happy?"

Rin could find no reply to that but smiled as she wrapped her arms around Sesshoumaru's neck. This was an unexpected turn of events, but nothing between them seemed to have changed and she was grateful for that. Life would be very different from now on and she was beginning to feel somewhat excited about what the future held in store for them. In time, they would tell Inuyasha and Kagome their news, but for now, just being together and coming to terms with the beginning of their news lives was enough. Sighing happily, Rin pressed a kiss against Sesshoumaru's lips as she began thinking about how happy her life was going to be. Almost as though he understood her thoughts, Sesshoumaru returned the kiss and smiled slightly when the parted. His life felt complete and it was a good feeling. At the moment, there was nothing he could ask for that would make life any better.

* * *

**AN:** Well that's it! I know it's a pretty abrupt ending and to be honest I was going to add another chapter, but I think I'll leave it here for the moment :) If I can think up a better ending, I'll add an epilogue. Thank you to everyone who reviewed this story and all the others. It's greatly appreciated :)

xMxAx


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